Jonathan Rosand

• Tel: (617) 724 - 2698
• Fax: (617) 643 - 3293

Jonathan is a clinician-scientist and critical care neurologist with expertise in cerebrovascular disease. Born and raised in New York City, he studied classics as an undergraduate, before entering medicine. After completing research training at the Harvard School of Public Health, the Program for Medical and Population Genetics of the Broad Institute, and in the research group of Steven M. Greenberg, Jonathan joined the faculty of the MGH Center for Human Genetic Research, while remaining an active faculty member within the Department of Neurology. Early investigations focused on the use of neuroimaging to characterize patients with hemorrhagic stroke. As genetic technologies have advanced to enable the robust identification of genetic variants that influence common traits, Jonathan has increasingly turned his attention to genetics.

Complementing his role as investigator, Jonathan directs the Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School Fellowship Training Program in Vascular and Critical Care Neurology. This program, the largest in the United States, trains neurologists in all aspects of stroke care and critical care neurology. The strong mentorship Jonathan provides is a central feature of this program. His aim is to help develop a generation of clinician-educators and clinician-scientists who will provide state-of-the-art teaching and care, while helping to bring scientific innovations to the bedside.

Natalia Rost

• Tel: (617) 643 - 3877
• Email:

Dr. Natalia Rost is MGH Stroke Neurologist and Instructor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Natalia received her M.D. from Boston University School of Medicine cum laude and completed her internship in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (2003), and residency in Neurology (2006) and fellowship in Vascular and Critical Care Neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital (2007).

Dr. Rost is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a recipient of the National Stroke Association Clinical Research Training Fellowship in Cerebrovascular Disease. Natalia is an affiliate member of the MGH Center for Human Genetic Research and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Her research interests and expertise are in the field of genetics and genomics of stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage, neuroimaging of cerebrovascular disease, and outcome prediction.

Lynelle Cortellini

• Tel: (617) 724 - 8420
• Email:

Lynelle Cortellini is the Project Manager for the Rosand Lab. Some of her major projects include coordination of the International Stroke Genetics Consortium and the "Genetics of Cerebral Hemorrhage with Anticoagulation" multi-site study at the J. Philip Kistler Stroke Research Center. Lynelle received her Bachelor of Science degree from Tufts University (Medford, MA) and her Master of Science degree from Brown University (Providence, RI). She works with investigators from around the globe as part of collaborative efforts to identify genes that may play a role in developing both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

Akshata Sonni

• Tel: (617) 643 - 5912
• Email:

Akshata Sonni is a research technologist with the Rosand Lab at the Center for Human Genetics Research of Massachusetts General Hospital, and an affiliate of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Akshata received her Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst, MA) and is currently applying to graduate school. She works closely with members of MGH and the Broad to investigate genetic risk factors for hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, and white matter disease (WMD).

Alessandro Biffi

• Tel: (617) 643 - 3304
• Email:

Alessandro Biffi is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Rosand Lab. He is currently involved in the "Genetics of Cerebral Hemorrhage with Anticoagulation" multi-site study at the J. Philip Kistler Stroke Research Center, as well as in other projects aimed at uncovering the genetic basis of cerebrovascular disorders. Alessandro received his MD degree from University of Milan-Bicocca (Milan, Italy). He is also part of research efforts aimed at developing and testing non-invasive Intracranial Pressure (ICP) measuring instruments.

Chris Anderson

• Tel: (617) 643 - 1976
• Email:

Chris Anderson is a research fellow in the Rosand lab, supported by the Bugher Foundation Centers for Stroke Prevention Research.  He is also a clinical fellow in Neurocritical Care at Massachusetts General Hospital.  Chris received his M.D. from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 2005.  He went on to complete his medical internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in 2006, and his neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2009.  Chris is an affiliate member of the MGH Center for Human Genetic Research, as well as the Broad Institute.  He is interested in applying integrative genomic techniques to the understanding of complex diseases such as ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, as well as the use of statistical methodologies to improve the performance of genetic research. 

William Devan

• Tel: (617) 643-3616
• Email:

Billy Devan is a data analyst/biostatician in the Rosand Lab. He is currently involved in the genetics of cerebral hemorrhage, the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease using neuroimaging, and other projects involving the genetics of cerebrovascular disorders. Billy received his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical/Electrical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY and is preparing to apply to medical school.

Allison Kanakis

• Email:

Allison Kanakis works on neuroimaging research with the Rosand Lab. She is currently an undergraduate at Boston University pursuing a degree in cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics. Her major project has been quantifying white matter disease in ischemic stroke patients.

Katrina Screen

• Tel: (617) 724-2698
• Email:

Katrina Screen is Jonathan Rosand's Executive Assistant/Administrator. She serves as the point of contact for Jonathan in both the Rosand Lab and in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit. Her other major responsibility is coordinating the vascular and critical care fellowship programs. Katrina received her bachelor's degree in communications and art history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and her Master's in counseling psychology from Assumption College in Worcester.