<p> Oscar was born in Mexico and moved to Colorado at the age of eight, where he resided until he left for college. He attended Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Anthropology in 2006. While in school, Oscar became involved with a longitudinal research project focusing on the economic, social and cultural influences of health and healthcare in central Mexico. </p> <p> After graduating, Oscar worked for almost two years with Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, looking at treatment adherence and health disparities of Latino, African American asthmatic children. He arrived at the Memory and Aging Center in the winter of 2008, and since then has been coordinating Dr. Rosen's emotions research. The emotions research ranges from dementia patient's insight into their cognitive abilities to presenting cognitive tasks that evoke measurable physiological reactions. </p>

<p> Natasha received her Masters in Social Work from San Francisco State University in 1996 and became licensed as a Clinical Social Worker in 2003. Natasha has worked extensively in community agencies addressing the needs of the elderly. Prior to joining the MAC team, she was a family consultant and clinical supervisor at Family Caregiver Alliance, a center dedicated to providing information and support to family members caring for someone with a dementia related disease. Natasha joined the Memory and Aging Center in 2007 as a part-time social worker. </p> <p> Natasha primarily works with families of patients to assist them in identifying comprehensive care plans, which include connecting family caregivers with resources in their communities, providing information on how best to manage challenging behavioral symptoms, as well as providing support and education on how to maintain one's health and well-being while providing care to their loved ones. </p>

<p> Dr. Boxer received his MD and PhD degrees as part of the NIH-funded Medical Scientist Training Program at New York University Medical Center. He completed an internship in Internal Medicine at California Pacific Medical Center and a residency in Neurology at Stanford University Medical Center. He completed a fellowship in Behavioral Neurology at UCSF. </p> <p> Dr. Boxer is currently the Vera and John Graziadio Scholar in Alzheimer's Disease Research and an Assistant Professor of Neurology. As part of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC), Dr. Boxer directs studies of new therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's Disease and frontotemporal dementia, and he oversees the Genetics and Biological Samples cores. He participates in the evaluation and management of patients in the Memory and Aging Clinic and Huntington Disease Clinic at the UCSF MAC. </p> <p> Dr. Boxer's research uses <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/eyemovement/multiple" title="measuring eye movements in adults with neurodegenerative disease">quantitative eye movement</a> and neuroimaging (MRI and PET) measurements to study the pathophysiology of cognitive and motor impairments in Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. He is the principle investigator of the first US multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/memantine/multiple" title="clinical trial of memantine (Namenda) for bvFTD and SD">clinical trial of a therapeutic agent for frontotemporal lobar degeneration (memantine/Namenda&#174;)</a>. Dr. Boxer is the recipient of the 2002 Edwin Boldrey Award from the San Francisco Neurological Society for basic research in neurological disease and the 2005 John Douglas French Foundation Alzheimer's Award. </p> <p> Dr. Boxer's research on Alzheimer's disease was featured on <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/health&amp;id=5841502" title="ABC7 report on Alzheimer's research" target="_blank">ABC7</a> and <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec08/dementia_11-12.html" title="The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" target="_blank"><i>The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer</i></a>. </p>

<p> Dr. Steven Chao received his MD and PhD degrees at Chicago Medical School with NIH sponsorship. His graduate studies in the laboratory of Dr. Marina Wolf focused on mechanisms of neuronal plasticity. Dr. Chao completed a medical internship at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and a neurology residency at Stanford University Hospital. </p> <p> Dr. Chao is currently a clinical fellow in behavioral neurology at the Memory and Aging Center where he is active in patient evaluation and management. His research interests focus on the early detection and progression of Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and related disorders. He actively participates in our Chinese outreach program seeing patients at San Francisco Chinatown clinics every week. </p>

<p> Kelly Creighton completed her Bachelor of Arts at Stony Brook University in 2005. Kelly was involved in behavioral medicine research in New York, first with a project examining the coping patterns of chronic pain patients and later with a study of the physiological and psychological risk factors of masked hypertension. </p> <p> Kelly joined the dynamic team at the Memory and Aging Center (MAC) in 2007 to pursue her interest in aging studies and end-of-life care. As coordinator of the Autopsy Program, she educates patients and families involved in the MAC clinic and research. Kelly helps families plan for autopsy and coordinates the autopsy process at the time of passing. She maintains a profound respect for those who choose to make this invaluable contribution to further knowledge of the mechanisms of healthy aging and neurodegenerative disease. In her time away from the MAC, Kelly is a classically-trained pianist, experimental cook and beach lover. </p>

<p> Dr. Mary De May received her medical degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She completed an internship in medicine and psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and subsequently did her psychiatry residency and fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. She joined the UCSF Memory and Aging Center in 2000, where she is the Center's Hellman Master Clinician. </p> <p> As an attending physician at the Memory and Aging Center Clinic, Dr. De May participates in the multidisciplinary, comprehensive evaluation of new patients and research participants, as well as providing ongoing care. She teaches neurology residents and fellows, psychiatry interns, geriatric medicine fellows and other rotating clinicians. She also performs psychiatric evaluations for patients referred from within the Memory and Aging Center and helps them find appropriate psychiatric care within the community as needed. </p>

<p>Nina Dronkers received her PhD degree in Neuropsychology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1985.</p><p>Dr. Dronkers is a consultant to the UCSF Memory and Aging Center and specializes in adult speech and language disorders. Dr. Dronkers assists in the evaluation of those individuals with progressive changes in their speech or language skills and participates in ongoing research concerning language abilities in dementia.</p><p>She is currently the Director of the Center for Aphasia and Related Disorders and the Chief of the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at the Department of Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System. She also holds an appointment as Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Linguistics at the University of California, Davis.</p><p>Dr. Dronkers' expertise is in the field of aphasia and understanding the language and communication deficits that can occur with neurological disease. She has conducted extensive research in this area and the localization of language functions in the brain.</p>

<p> Ron Finley received his Bachelor of Sciences in Pharmacy at St. Louis College of Pharmacy and is a Registered Pharmacist. </p> <p> For the past fourteen years, he has served as a clinical pharmacist with the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. Mr. Finley collaborates with the medical members of the team to evaluate and consult on drug therapy, frequently conducts medication history interviews with patients and/or caregivers, and meets with patients to discuss and answer questions regarding traditional and nontraditional medications. </p> <p> Mr. Finley is a Consultant Pharmacist at the Institute on Aging's On Lok-Senior Health program and the Institute on Aging Alzheimer's Day Care Program. He is Co-Chair of Pharmacy Practice at the California Geriatric Education Center. He is also a Lecturer in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at UCSF. </p> <p> Mr. Finley has a strong interest in geriatric drug therapy, medications for dementia and psychiatric conditions associated with dementia. </p>

<p> Ms. Gearhart received her undergraduate degree in Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. She began her nursing career at Johns Hopkins Hospital where she worked in acute care. Ms. Gearhart continued working in general medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center where she was nurse manager. She received her Master's in Nursing Administration at UCSF and is certified as a Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist by the American Nurses Association Credentialing Center. </p> <p> Ms. Gearhart is a Clinical Nurse Specialist and the Administrative Nurse for the Memory and Aging Center. She is also Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Physiology in the School of Nursing. Ms. Gearhart works with families during the comprehensive diagnostic visits and cares for patients in the follow-up clinic. Ms. Gearhart focuses on optimizing the functional status of each patient and maintaining the quality of life for both the patient and caregivers. </p> <p> In addition to her clinical work, Ms. Gearhart has coordinated the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) prevention drug trial and focuses her research interests on the study of people at risk for dementia and prevention of decline. She is very interested in investigating the impact of caregiving on families, particularly families involved in the care of frontotemporal dementia patients. </p>

<p>Stathis Gennatas joined the <a href="http://neurology.ucsf.edu/seeley/index.html" target="_blank" title="Seeley Selective Vulnerability Research Lab">Seeley Selective Vulnerability Research Lab</a> in the fall of 2008 as an Assistant Specialist to work on neuroimaging. He graduated from medical school at Imperial College London in June of 2008 with MBBS and BSc degrees in Psychology and Psychiatry.</p>

<p> Dr. Gorno-Tempini obtained her medical degree and clinical specialty training in neurology in Italy. Her main focus was in behavioral neurology, particularly the neural basis of higher cognitive functions such as language and memory. To pursue this research she worked for three years at the Function Imaging Laboratory, University College London, where she obtained her PhD in imaging neuroscience. She was part of the language group and her thesis work consisted of several Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and functional MRI studies investigating the neural basis of face and proper name processing. </p> <p> She came to the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF in 2001 and her main research project concerns progressive aphasia. Her goal is to combine neuropsychological and imaging techniques to characterize the various language deficits that can be early symptoms of different forms of dementia. </p>

<p> Matthew Growdon graduated from Harvard University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Literature. While at Harvard, he coupled his interest in medical history and modernist literature with coursework in the life sciences and social epidemiology. Matthew joined the Memory and Aging Center in September 2007. His position involves coordinating visits for the longitudinal program project grant investigating frontotemporal dementia, <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/ppg/multiple" title="Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions"><i>Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions</i></a> and conducting neuropsychological testing with research subjects. He is especially fascinated by the unique creativity seen in the FTLD population and hopes to bring his longtime interests in the humanities to bear on his work at the MAC. </p> <p> Matthew is a classically trained singer and enjoys exploring San Francisco and hiking in the greater Bay Area. </p>

<p> Kari Haws graduated from UC Berkeley in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Prior to completing her education, she worked in the Robertson Cognitive Neuropsychology lab at Berkeley investigating visual attention in normal subjects and patients with hemispatial neglect. She also volunteered at the National Brain Tumor Foundation as a Patient Services volunteer where she helped provide resources for brain tumor patients and their families. </p> <p> Kari joined the Memory and Aging Center in July 2006 to pursue her interest in neuropsychology and related fields. Her primary role is coordinating the <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/heterogeneity/multiple"><i>New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity</i></a> grant, which follows patients for five years with the goal of learning more about dementia to improve early detection and clinical care for patients with dementia. Additionally, she conducts cognitive testing with research participants and clinic patients. </p>

<p> Anna Karydas graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts, Conceptual Information Arts from San Francisco State University. She joined the Memory and Aging Center to support research activities investigating genetic causes of neurodegenerative diseases. She manages our genetic samples and genetic collaborations. </p>

<p> Dr. Geoffrey Kerchner received his MD and PhD degrees at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, through the NIH sponsored Medical Scientist Training Program. His thesis work in the laboratory of Dr. Min Zhuo focused on mechanisms of synaptic plasticity. Dr. Kerchner completed his medical internship and neurology residency at UCSF, where he served as co-chief resident in his final year. </p> <p> Dr. Kerchner evaluates and treats patients at the Memory and Aging Center. He is also an attending in the Department of Neurology, where he supervises residents and teaches medical students. He recently completed a basic science research fellowship with Dr. Roger Nicoll in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, where he pursued work relating to glutamate receptor trafficking and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Current research projects at the MAC include work related to early detection of dementia and anatomical correlates between advanced neuroimaging and neuropsychological testing. </p>

<p> Robin Ketelle received her Bachelor's degree in nursing from UCLA and a Master's degree in gerontological nursing from UCSF. </p> <p> Robin's career has involved work in medical surgical nursing, psychiatric nursing and geriatric nursing. She has held research positions at both the UC Davis and UCSF state funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers of California (ARCC). Her work at the ARCCs included expert clinical care as a Clinical Nurse Specialist and as a Clinical Trials Coordinator for patients and families participating in dementia research. Most recently, Robin worked in a quality assurance program at Northern California Kaiser Permanente managing data and tracking patients with breast cancer. </p> <p> Robin returned to the Memory and Aging Center in May 2006 and since that time has been the primary nurse for the NIH funded <a href="/Clinic/intro.html#adrc" title="Alzheimer Disease Research Center">Alzheimer Disease Research Center</a> (ADRC) program, interviewing caregivers and study partners about participants' everyday functioning, mood and behavior. She also manages the NIH-funded program project grant entitled <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/ppg/multiple" title="Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Imaging and Emotions"><i>Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Imaging and Emotions</i></a> and interviews caregivers participating in that study as well. Additionally, Robin facilitates the caregiver support group for families and friends of patients with frontotemporal dementia. Robin is interested in helping patients with neurodegenerative disease and their caregivers to learn coping mechanisms that will improve their overall well being. She is also interested in the impact of specific symptoms of dementia, such as apathy, on function and overall health. </p>

<p> Mary Koestler joined the Memory and Aging Center's Clinical Trials Unit as project administrator and trials nurse in July 2007. Dr. Koestler completed a Master's Degree in Nursing with an emphasis in Clinical Research Management at UCSF followed by a PhD. She currently manages industry-sponsored FDA Phase I-III Alzheimer's disease trials. Dr. Koestler is credentialed by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP). </p>

<p> Dr. Kramer earned his Doctorate in Psychology at Baylor University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Martinez VA hospital. Dr. Kramer is board certified in clinical neuropsychology and serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology. </p> <p> Dr. Kramer is a Clinical Professor of Neuropsychology in Neurology and the Director of the Memory and Aging Center Neuropsychology program. </p> <p> Dr. Kramer has been extensively involved in studying the cognitive changes associated with brain disorders for the past two decades. He has co-authored widely used neuropsychological measures of memory and executive functioning. Much of his work has been devoted to identifying the different ways in which neurodegenerative diseases affect memory and other abilities and in utilizing these differences to improve differential diagnosis in clinic. </p> <p> Presently, Dr. Kramer's active areas of research include studying the cognitive effects of cerebrovascular disease and frontotemporal dementia, identifying behavioral markers of pre-clinical Alzheimer's disease, and understanding the relationships between aging, hormones and behavior. </p>

<p> Victor Laluz graduated from UC Davis in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology and a minor in Japanese. While at UC Davis, he worked at the UC Davis Medical Center's MIND Institute, analyzing MRI scans to study morphological changes to the limbic and ventricular systems in children with velocardiofacial syndrome. </p> <p> Victor joined the Memory and Aging Center in November 2007 to continue work in neuroimaging. His primary role is to coordinate the analysis of MRI scans across several projects at the MAC by developing the procedures required to study specific brain regions, training other research coordinators in these procedures, and managing the data generated by these analyses. Victor also has a deep interest in Japanese culture and enjoys translating Japanese fiction and music into English. </p>

<p>Dr. Lee received her MD degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She then completed her internship in Internal Medicine at the Brown University Internal Medicine Program in Providence, Rhode Island and Neurology residency at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, where she served as Chief Resident in her final year. Dr. Lee is a currently a Clinical Fellow where she evaluates and treats patients at the Memory and Aging Center.</p><p>Dr. Lee is a classically trained singer and pianist; her interests include writing and photography. Prior to her medical career, she obtained a BA in English Literature at Harvard University, had a foray into business world as an analyst at a consulting firm and worked as a website editor for a cancer education website. She hopes to forge her long-time interests in music, visual arts and literature with cognitive neuroscience research and has a particular interest in neuroimaging.</p>

<p> Jennifer Merrilees received her Master's Degree in Nursing from the University of California, San Francisco and is certified by the American Nurses Association in Gerontological Nursing. </p> <p> She is a Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Memory and Aging Center and Associate Clinical Professor (volunteer series) for the UCSF School of Nursing. Nurse Merrilees is part of a multidisciplinary team focused on the evaluation and management of people with cognitive and behavioral symptoms. She is one of the primary nurses for the NIH-funded program project grant entitled <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/ppg/multiple" title="Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Emotions and Imaging"><i>Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Emotions and Imaging</i></a>. Her work at the Memory and Aging Center focuses on behavioral symptoms in dementia and support and education for family caregivers. She directs a research project exploring the dementia caregiver experience. She was awarded a John A. Hartford pre-doctoral scholarship and is currently pursuing doctoral education at the UCSF School of Nursing with a focus on rest-activity disruption in dementia. </p>

<p> Dr. Miller is Professor of Neurology at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) where he holds the A.W. &amp; Mary Margaret Clausen Distinguished Chair. Dr. Miller is the clinical director of the Memory and Aging Center (MAC) at UCSF, which is funded through the State of California, the Koret Foundation and the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation. </p> <p> The busy UCSF dementia center links comprehensive patient evaluations to basic research in neuropsychology, neuropsychiatry, neuroimaging and genetics. Dr. Miller's goal is the delivery of model care to all of the patients who enter the clinical and research programs at the MAC. </p> <p> Dr. Miller is a behavioral neurologist with a special interest in brain and behavior relationships and has focused his work in the area of dementia. He has many years of experience directing pharmaceutical trials for patients with Alzheimer's disease and directed the UCSF treatment trial for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with quinacrine in conjunction with Drs. Stanley Prusiner and Michael Geschwind. </p> <p> At UCSF, Dr. Miller directs an NIH-funded program project on frontotemporal dementia (FTD) called <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/ppg/multiple" title="Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions"><i>Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions</i></a>. His work with FTD has emphasized both the behavioral and emotional deficits that characterize these patients, while simultaneously noting the visual creativity that can emerge in the setting of FTD. The recognition that dementia patients have many strengths is a guiding principle of the Memory and Aging Center. </p> <p> Dr. Miller is author of the book <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=hBcPYvqE19QC&amp;dq=The+Human+Frontal+Lobes&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;source=bn&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=book_result&amp;resnum=4&amp;ct=result#PPP1,M1" title="The Human Frontal Lobes by Bruce L. Miller" target="_blank"><i>The Human Frontal Lobes</i></a> and has extensive publications regarding dementia diagnosis and treatment. For nearly two decades, Dr. Miller has been the scientific director for the philanthropic organization The John Douglas French Foundation for Alzheimer's Disease. He is actively involved in patient care at the UCSF clinics and hospital and teaches extensively in the medical school. Dr. Miller runs the Behavioral Neurology Fellowship at UCSF. </p> <p> Dr. Miller was recently featured on <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec08/dementia_11-12.html" title="The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" target="_blank"><i>The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer</i></a>. </p>

<p> Jacob graduated with a BA from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut as a double major in neuroscience as well as biology. Jacob then received his MA from Wesleyan by continuing his undergraduate research on cell death in a mouse model of epilepsy. </p> <p> After deciding to move to the West Coast, Jacob drove across the country and began work in the Memory and Aging Center with Dr. Adam Boxer. As Dr. Boxer's research associate, Jacob coordinates and conducts a study on eye movements and their ability to shed light on the normal aging process. The goal of the research is to develop quick, easy and effective tasks for identifying the early stages of cognitive decline. </p>

<p> Robert Nicholson graduated from University of California, Davis in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. While at UC Davis, he worked as a research coordinator for a United States Air Force Reserve - 349th Aeromedical Staging Squadron. </p> <p> In 2007 Robert joined the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (MAC) as a research assistant on the study entitled <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/ppg/multiple"><i>Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Images and Emotions</i></a>. Since joining the MAC, he has collaborated with several other projects: <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/heterogeneity/multiple"><i>New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity</i></a>, <a href="/Research/Studies/OS_Valcour_HIV.htm"><i>Cognitive Health and Brain Vulnerability in Aging Insulin Resistant Patients</i></a>, <i>Epileptiform Activity in Neurodegenerative Disease</i>, Phase II Alzheimer's disease clinical trial, and the Latino Memory Clinic. Robert now works for the MAC's clinical trials team. Robert is the primary study coordinator on Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia treatment trials, including an oral antagonist Phase III trial and an <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/memantine/multiple">oral antagonist Phase IV trial</a>. </p>

<p> Jennifer Ogar received her Masters of Science degree in Communicative Disorders from San Francisco State University in 2000. </p> <p> She has been consulting with the MAC clinic since 2001, evaluating patients with progressive speech and language impairments. Ms. Ogar also participates in ongoing research in the area of aphasia and related disorders. Ms. Ogar is the Acting Chief of the Speech Pathology Service at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Martinez, California, where she sees patients with a range of speech, language and swallowing disorders. </p>

<p> Pardis Poorzand moved to the United States from Canada after finishing high school. She graduated from University of California, Davis in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in genetics. While at UC Davis, she worked at a DNA sequencing laboratory and became involved in research at the pulmonary/critical care lab. After a year of research on a novel gene at the pulmonary lab with a graduate student, she completed her honor thesis during her last quarter at UC Davis. </p> <p> Pardis joined the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF in the spring of 2008. She is part of Dr. Kate Rankin's <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/social/multiple"><i>Neuroanatomy of Altered Social Behavior in Neurodegenerative Disease</i></a> project, which focuses on patients with frontotemporal dementia. </p> <p> Pardis enjoys being an active member of her community, such as volunteering at the local YMCA, where she has been involved since 2004. She has a passion for painting and enjoys doing yoga on her spare time. </p>

<p> Katherine Possin was awarded her PhD in Clinical Psychology from UCSD in 2007. During her training at UCSD, she studied cognitive changes associated with Parkinson's disease. She completed her internship in clinical neuropsychology at UCSF in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology. </p> <p> Currently, Dr. Possin is a postdoctoral fellow in neuropsychology at the Memory and Aging Center. In July 2008, she was awarded a 3-year Larry H. Hillblom Fellowship to study spatial cognition in neurodegenerative disease, with a focus on Lewy Body Disorders. She aims to develop new anatomically-specific spatial cognitive measures that will be sensitive to the earliest cognitive changes in these disorders and that will help with early diagnosis. She is also interested in studying the neural substrates of spatial cognition and executive functioning using magnetic resonance imaging modalities, including voxel-based morphometry. </p>

<p> Born and raised in Jerusalem, Dr. Rabinovici received his BS from Stanford University and MD from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. He completed an internship in internal medicine at Stanford University, neurology residency at UCSF (where he was chief resident) and a behavioral neurology fellowship at the Memory and Aging Center. </p> <p> As an attending physician at the Memory and Aging Center, Dr. Rabinovici participates in patient evaluations and management and coordinates medical student and resident training. His research focuses on how structural, functional and molecular brain imaging techniques can be used to improve diagnostic accuracy in dementia and to study the biology of neurodegenerative diseases. He is the recipient of a fellowship award from the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation, the Kathryn Grupe Award for Excellence in Alzheimer's Research from the Alzheimer's Association of Northern California and Northern Nevada, and the Henry Newman Award for Research in Clinical Neurology from the San Francisco Neurological Society. His current work is supported by the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation, a New Investigator Award from the Alzheimer's Association, and a Career Development Award from the National Institute on Aging. </p>

<p> Caroline Racine received her BA in Psychology from Boston University, where she completed an honors thesis exploring visual-perceptual deficits in patients with stroke and traumatic brain injury. From 1997-1999 she worked as a research assistant with Dr. Dan Schacter at Harvard University on studies examining false memories in healthy aging. Dr. Racine went on to obtain an MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in Neuropsychology and Aging. Her research at Washington University examined changes in frontal lobe function during healthy aging using both behavioral and neuroimaging methods (e.g., fMRI). She completed her clinical internship at Duke University in 2005 and afterward completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Neuropsychology at the Memory and Aging Center. </p> <p> Currently, Dr. Racine is a member of the Neuropsychology team that provides clinical and research evaluations for the MAC. Her research interests include white matter contributions to normal aging and cognition in Parkinsonian disorders such as Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). </p>

<p> She received her BA in Psychology from Yale University, where she worked in a psychiatric epidemiology research unit at Yale School of Medicine. She went on to obtain a Master's degree in Theology and PhD in Clinical Psychology at Fuller in Los Angeles. During her training she worked at USC researching the effects of estrogen and cortisol on the brain, and also researched cognition and social functioning in Klinefelter's patients at Harbor UCLA Medical Center. After finishing her internship at the Martinez VA hospital and UC Davis Medical Center, she came to the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF to complete a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship in neuropsychology. </p> <p> Dr. Rankin is currently an Associate Professor in the UCSF Department of Neurology and works as a neuropsychologist with the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. Dr. Rankin specializes in research examining the neuroanatomic changes that can cause altered personality and social behavior in dementia. She is the principal investigator on a number of grants that have allowed her to investigate topics such as the link between hormones and social behavior, and artistic creativity in dementia. </p>

<p> Katya Rascovsky received her BA in Biological Basis of Behavior and Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a MA in Psychology from New York University. From 1995-1999 she worked in a memory disorder's clinic and taught neuropsychology in her native country of Colombia. In 2005, she was awarded her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. Her dissertation focused on the cognitive profiles and clinical progression of pathology-confirmed FTD patients. She is a recipient of the Phillip M. Rennick Award for best graduate student research in the field of neuropsychology (International Neuropsychological Society). Dr. Rascovsky completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Neuropsychology at the Memory and Aging Center and currently works as an Adjunct Instructor within the department. </p> <p> Currently, Dr. Rascovsky leads an international consortium to revise diagnostic criteria for the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and is co-founder of the UCSF Latino Memory Clinic. Research interests include cognitive and behavioral profiles of bvFTD, obsessive-compulsive symptoms in FTD and development of a Spanish cognitive screening battery for the assessment of Latino patients with dementia. </p>

<p> Dr. Rosen received his MD from Boston University School of Medicine, trained in internal medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and subsequently completed a neurology residency at UCSF. He is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Neurology. After residency, Dr. Rosen pursued fellowship training in brain imaging at the Washington University School of Medicine and then returned to UCSF to join the team at the Memory and Aging Center in 1999. </p> <p> Dr. Rosen participates in the evaluation of new patients in the MAC clinic as well as the continued management of care for some of these individuals in the continuity clinic. As part of the MAC and the UCSF Department of Neurology, he participates in the training of medical students, residents and fellows. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, Dr. Rosen maintains an active research program. </p> <p> His primary area of interest is in the organization of the emotional systems in the brain and how these systems are affected in different forms of dementia. His research combines methods of assessing emotional function in the brain with brain imaging in both patients and cognitively normal individuals. </p>

<p> Tricia See received her Bachelor's degree in biology with a concentration in genetics from Cornell University, followed by a Master's degree from The Johns Hopkins University/National Human Genome Research Institute Genetic Counseling Training Program in 2005. Tricia is a board certified genetic counselor. </p> <p> Tricia joined the Memory and Aging Center in August 2008 and is delighted to be part of such a knowledgeable and dynamic team. Her responsibilities include providing genetic counseling to individuals and families affected with or at-risk for degenerative brain diseases and working in conjunction with the team to better understand the underlying genetic factors. </p>

<p> Dr. Seeley received his MD from the UCSF School of Medicine. He then completed an internship in Internal Medicine at UCSF and a residency in Neurology at the Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's Hospitals in Boston. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, where he participates in patient evaluation and management. He also directs the MAC Autopsy Program and the Neuropathology Core. </p> <p> Dr. Seeley's research concerns regional vulnerability in dementia, that is, why particular dementias target specific neuronal populations. Dr. Seeley addresses this question through behavioral, functional imaging and neuropathology studies. The goal of his research is to determine what makes brain tissues susceptible or resistant to degeneration, with an eye toward ultimately translating these findings into novel treatment approaches. </p> <p> Go to the <a href="http://neurology.ucsf.edu/seeley/index.html" title="Seeley Selective Vulnerability Research Lab" target="_blank">Seeley Selective Vulnerability Research Lab</a> website. </p>

<p> Eric Sullivan, a native New Yorker, graduated from Wesleyan University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience and Behavior. He relocated to the City of Brotherly Love shortly thereafter. By day, Eric served as a technician at the University of Pennsylvania's Treatment Research Center, an outpatient addiction research clinic. There, he studied the efficacies of novel medications for the treatment of cocaine and opiate dependencies. By night, Eric served as a freelance reporter for the Arts and Entertainment section of Metro Philadelphia, the city's second most widely circulated newspaper. </p> <p> Eric made his way westward in the Fall of 2008 to serve as the research coordinator of the <a href="/ftd/research/clinical/aging/multiple" title="Hillblom Aging Network">Hillblom Aging Network</a>, the Memory and Aging Center's cohort of normal, aging individuals. Eric is interested in the processes of memory formation and the fundamental principles of cognition. </p> <p> In his free time, Eric enjoys cooking for friends, writing short stories and exploring the quirks of San Francisco. </p>

<p> Dr. Tartaglia received her MD at McGill University and completed her residency at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Dr. Tartaglia came to medicine via a detour in film production and programming. She subsequently entered the research arena and used different imaging techniques to try to better characterize some of the pathology seen in multiple sclerosis. </p> <p> Dr. Tartaglia is currently a clinical fellow in behavioral neurology at the Memory and Aging Center where she participates in patient evaluation and care. Her research interests lie in trying to bridge pathology and imaging in order to better delineate the substrates that underlie the different neurodegenerative diseases and cause cognitive, behavioral and motoric dysfunction. </p>

<p> Tremaine Thomas studied Fashion Design &amp; Merchandising at San Francisco State University and London College of Fashion. He joined the Memory and Aging Center (MAC) in August 2007 as assistant to Dr. Bruce L. Miller, Director of the Memory and Aging Center. </p> <p> Tremaine has future plans to study psychiatry, a career pursuit greatly influenced by his time spent at the MAC. In his spare time, Tremaine enjoys taking in live jazz performances and designing clothing. </p>

<p> Dr. Valcour is an internist and geriatrician at the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF where he is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Geriatrics in Neurology. He has completed fellowships in both Geriatric Medicine and Neurobehavior. He completed his medical training at the University of Vermont where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society. He completed Internal Medicine residency at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, Colorado, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship at the University of Hawaii, and a Neurobehavior fellowship at UCSF. He worked as Associate Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Hawaii - Manoa before joining the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF. </p> <p> Dr. Valcour's main research interest is neurocognition in aging HIV patients. He also completes neuroAIDS research in Bangkok, Thailand. He directed the Hawaii Aging with HIV Cohort of HIV-infected individuals over 50 years of age prior to joining the MAC. This leading HIV-aging neuroAIDS study began to unravel the neuro-epidemiology of aging with HIV. His current work at UCSF focuses on HIV patients over 60 years of age where he is recruiting individuals for a longitudinal cohort study. Nearly 1/2 of his research occurs in Bangkok, Thailand in association with the Southeast Asia Research Collaboration with Hawaii (<a href="http://www.searchthailand.org/" title="South East Asia Research Collaboration with Hawaii (SEARCH)" target="_blank">SEARCH</a>). Here his primary work relates to HIV DNA as a marker for dementia. </p>

<p> Indre Viskontas received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from UCLA in 2006. During her training at UCLA, Dr. Viskontas used high-resolution fMRI of healthy individuals and recordings of individual neural activity in patients with epilepsy to map memory processes in the medial temporal lobe. She joined the Memory and Aging Center in May of 2006 to study creativity and memory in patients with frontal and/or temporal lobar degeneration. </p> <p> Dr. Viskontas is also a classically-trained soprano with a Masters of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and performs with regional opera companies and chamber music groups in the Bay Area. </p>

<p> Stephen Wilson received his BA in Linguistics from the University of Sydney and spent several years carrying out fieldwork and documenting an endangered Australian Aboriginal language called Wagiman. He received an MA in Linguistics and a PhD in Neuroscience from UCLA. In his dissertation work, he used functional neuroimaging to study the neural basis of speech perception and developed statistical methods to examine relationships between tissue damage and resulting behavioral deficits in aphasic stroke patients. </p> <p> Dr. Wilson is interested in the functional neuroanatomy of language and how language breaks down when its neural substrates are damaged. Since joining the Memory and Aging Center in 2007, he has studied patients with progressive non-fluent aphasia, semantic dementia and logopenic progressive aphasia using structural and functional imaging, along with behavioral measures that characterize language deficits. The goal of this research is to enable earlier and more accurate differential diagnoses. </p>