Brain Fitness 

Brain Fitness is organized as a team.  Team members all teach classes, using the same lessons, with a few exceptions as noted above.  Each team member is unique in the way they teach, how they teach, and/or in the additional responsibilities they carry.  

There are multiple Zoom sessions for Brain Fitness students.  You are welcome to attend any of these sessions for your class (basics or topics).  If you like, attend more than one to hear a different perspective on that week's lesson.  

To find more, and to see the Zoom link for your class, visit our Zoom page on this site,  The Zoom Classroom

The Basics class introduces you to the online brain training website, BrainHQ.  This program has been used in multiple studies and has found to have a positive effect on cognition including improvements in brain speed, recognition and memory.  While we cannot predict your personal improvement, we can say that it has helped many students, and is what keeps them coming back time and again.

Minoo Pakgohar: Team leader, Topics, Alzheimer's Science (mpakgohar@sdccd.edu)
I have a PhD in Gerontology with over 15 years of higher education teaching and developing curriculum. I got my equivalency as master’s degree in midwifery and Ph.D. in gerontology in USA. I have a strong passion to work with older adults, and I love teaching. So, I did switch from midwifery to gerontology at one point in my career. Currently I teach a very diverse older population as an older adult instructor at College of the Canyons.

I volunteered as a case manager in long term care setting for three years while I was assistant professor at university. As a part of civic engagement activity, I volunteer to present in retirement communities.

My husband and I have one 29 years old daughter, and I enjoy baking, gardening, and volunteering in my community.

Yael Lorberfeld:  Basics and Brain HQ Lab (ylorberfeld@sdccd.edu) 

Yael Lorberfeld has been teaching Brain Fitness since 2019. She is now the coordinator for Brain Fitness Basics Class. She holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology by the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. She has been working since 1997 in Mental health as a Psychotherapist, School Psychologist and teaching topics related to Mental Health and Wellbeing, in Spanish and in English. She has a certificate on Family Leadership Coaching by The San Diego University for Integrative Studies.  She is the cofounder of a nonprofit organization and an active volunteer in her community, working as an educator for children to develop social responsibility. 

Erika Peralta: Topics, Websites, Brain HQ administration (eperalta@sdccd.edu) 

Erika Peralta is a passionate advocate for public health, with a master’s degree in public health (NU) and a bachelor’s degree (UCSD) in public health. Her commitment to health education is underscored by her certification as a Health Education Specialist, reflecting her dedication to promoting wellness and preventing diseases. 

Erika's professional journey is fueled by a profound interest in intergenerational work and infectious diseases within the realm of public health. She believes in the power of bridging generational gaps to create sustainable health solutions that resonate with diverse communities. 

As a first-generation college graduate, Erika brings a unique perspective to her work, prioritizing the needs of underrepresented communities. Her mission is rooted in fostering inclusivity and dismantling health disparities. Erika's approach is characterized by a genuine care for the well-being of diverse populations, recognizing the importance of tailored interventions to address the unique challenges they face.  She highly cares for people, being social, and loves teaching with empathy.  

Join her in the pursuit of well-being, as she continues to champion intergenerational collaboration and tackle infectious diseases head-on. Together, let's build a healthier world, one community at a time. 

Anjali Patel: Topics (apatel@sdccd.edu )

Anjali Patel is a Registered Dietitian (RD) specializing in public health, research and community nutrition.  Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, and after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences, Anjali moved to a small town in Kumamoto, Japan where she taught English and spent her free time on grassroots internationalization projects centered on food and culture. It was during this work her passion for community nutrition was born. She returned to school to pursue her RD and Master of Public Health, and on the side worked in nutrition research, nutrition communications and public health programs and strategy. In 2011, Anjali moved to the United States and worked with the restaurant industry on environmental change and consumer behavior change research funded by the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health. Anjali is a food and nutrition educator who hopes to inspire and support individuals and communities with knowledge, tips and tools in healthy cooking and eating behaviors for their overall wellbeing.  She believes that food holds much more power than nourishment to the body — it’s identity, belonging and what connects us. Anjali enjoys skiing, swimming and traveling. When she is not working, you can find her with her family somewhere around the world trying different foods or in her kitchen playing with food.

Sharon Gregory: Topics (sgregory001@sdccd.edu)

Sharon Gregory is active in the Health and Fitness Community. She has a bachelors in Food and Nutrition from San Diego State University and is CPR certified. She has 15 years of experience working for SDCCD Emeritus Program. Sharon has taught Body Dynamics, Health Education and nutrition cooking classes at a variety of off campus locations.

At an early age, Sharon became a caregiver for her grandparents. During this time, she discovered the passion she had for helping older adults. She became very interested in keeping her grandparents active with physical exercise and brain stimulation. Now Sharon shares that information with her current students discussing fall prevention, healthy bones, better balance, and overall nutrition for optimal health!

Sharon has volunteered for over 8 years providing support in the community in a variety of outreach programs. She is a volunteer for CERT (Certified Emergency Response Team) in Poway. She is actively helping with emergency preparedness, drive-thru-food distribution events, vaccination efforts, and assisting with picking up groceries and medication for those who can't go out.

Sharon and her husband have 3 grown children that are also into exercising and staying fit. Her hobbies include traveling, gardening, hiking, biking, working out at the gym, and spending time with her family, friends and her dog Cabo.

Charisse Winston: Topics (cwinston@sdccd.edu) 

Dr. Charisse Winston is a translational neuroscientist focused on developing biofluid-based extracellular vesicles (EVs) as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Georgetown University after receiving a B.S. from the University of Virginia and an M.S. from Georgetown, both in Biochemistry. For the past decade, she has been a dedicated educator in the San Diego community college system and is an active volunteer with the Alzheimer's Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Mindy Sloan: Diverse approach to brain health (msloan@sdccd.edu)

Mindy's career focus has been on using education to make the world a better place. She has served learners of diversity as a school psychologist for PK-12 school districts and the California Youth Authority, and as a faculty member and administrator at institutions of higher education. As a faculty member and administrator, Mindy pioneered several strategies to effectively engage at-risk learners, established an online Library, Writing Center, and Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, provided 24/7 learning supports that increased students success, created predictive models to diagnose and prescribe specific interventions that improved student learning, and was elected as a faculty senator and faculty body President. Her graduate degrees are in Educational & Counseling Psychology, and she has been licensed as a school psychologist, clinical psychologist, school administrator, and special educator.  Dr. Sloan's first career was as a greeting card illustrator and writer.  She is a minister of metaphysical sciences.  Last and most importantly, Mindy is a mother of four amazing adults and Nene to a grandson and granddaughter. 

Desirée Harguess: (dharguess@sdccd.edu)

Early in my higher education journey, I had training in anthropology,  sociology, and psychology. While earning my Master's degree, I taught Fitness/Wellness classes at the University of Texas and also managed an oral history project for the 1968 U.S. Olympic Team. After moving to San Diego, I earned my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. My clinical education included training in geriatrics, neuroscience, neuroanatomy, and neuromuscular rehabilitation. I've been working as a licensed physical therapist in San Diego since 2017, and mostly work with older adults. In Spring 2025, I began teaching Health Education for Older Adults in the Emeritus program. Now I'm excited to bring my experience to the Brain Fitness Program!