Dr. Grinberg is a neuropathologist specializing in brain aging and associated disorders. In 2003, Dr. Grinberg, along with multidisciplinary colleagues, founded a brain bank in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which has developed into an extremely prolific and highly regarded institution. She received her MD and PhD degrees in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her PhD work was focused in the neuropathology of frontotemporal lobar degeneration. From 2007 to 2009, Dr. Grinberg acquired expertise in neuroanatomy and in the use of state-of-the-art methods for tridimensional brain reconstruction at the University of Wurzburg, Germany. This knowledge is being utilized for studying the neuropathological counterparts of common MRI findings in the elderly, which are currently still based on assumption. In addition, Dr. Grinberg has a special interest in the brainstem, and her most recent work has focused on this brain area. Currently, Dr. Grinberg is an assistant professor at the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF and the principle investigator of a project funded by the Alzheimer's Association to perform a multi-ethnic neuropathological comparison of patients with Alzheimer's disease. In 2009, she was the recipient of the UNESCO-L'Oréal Award "For Women in Science" and in 2010 of the John Douglas French Alzheimer Foundation "Distinguished Research Scholar Award." She has also co-chaired the Brain Chapter of the Human Proteomics Organization since 2009.

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Chao is currently a neurologist 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.

趙壯志醫生

腦部神經專科臨床進修醫生

趙壯志醫生在芝加哥醫學院獲得臨床醫學及神經學博士雙學位﹐並得到美國健康研究院(National Institute of Health) 的支持。趙醫生在攻讀博士學位時﹐跟芝加哥醫學院 Marina Wolf 博士研究神經可塑性的機製。趙醫生在Santa Clara Valley 醫學中心 內科實習之後到史丹福大學醫院(Stanford University Hospital）完成神經科住院醫生的實習。

趙醫生現在加入UCSF記憶力研究及治療中心擔任腦部神經專科臨床進修醫生。他盡力與病人進行全面性的神經檢查和推廣教育有關失智癥的知識。他在本中心的研究，主要是針對阿茲海默癥 (Alzheimer’s Disease), 額顳葉型失智癥(Frontotemporal Dementia) 和其他失智癥的早期診斷及治療。他是本中心擴展計劃中的一位腦部神經醫生﹐每星期會到三藩市唐人街為華裔病人服務。

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.

Dr. Boxer is an Associate Professor of Neurology and the Vera and John Graziadio Scholar in Alzheimer’s Disease Research. He directs the Alzheimer’s Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia Clinical Trials Program at the Memory and Aging Center. He participates in the evaluation and management of patients in the Memory and Aging Clinic and attends on the Moffitt Inpatient Neurology Service.

Dr. Boxer’s research uses quantitative eye movement (watch a video on this study) and neuroimaging (MRI and PET) measurements to study the pathophysiology of cognitive and motor impairments in normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration. He is the lead principal investigator of the first US multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of a therapeutic agent for frontotemporal dementia (memantine/Namenda®) and an international, phase 2/3, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the microtubule stabilizing agent, davunetide (NAP, Al-108), for PSP. Dr. Boxer is the recipient of the 2002 Edwin Boldrey Award from the San Francisco Neurological Society, the 2005 John Douglas French Foundation Alzheimer’s Award and a 2009 Hellman Foundation Scientist Award. He also leads the FTD Treatment Study Group (FTSG), a group looking to speed the development of new therapies for FTD.

Ron Finley received his bachelor of science degree in pharmacy at St. Louis College of Pharmacy and is a registered pharmacist.

For the past fourteen years, he has served as a clinical pharmacist with the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, formerly named the UCSF Alzheimer’s 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.

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.

Mr. Finley has a strong interest in geriatric drug therapy, medications for dementia and psychiatric conditions associated with dementia.

Jennifer Merrilees received her doctorate degree in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco. She is a Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Memory and Aging Center and Associate Clinical Professor (volunteer series) for the UCSF School of Nursing. Jennifer is part of a multidisciplinary team focused on the evaluation and management of people with cognitive and behavioral symptoms. She is the nurse coordinator of our clinical services, responsible for reviewing all new patient referrals, patient triage, and dealing with patient care issues. She is also one of the primary nurses for the NIH-funded program project grant entitled Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Imaging and Emotions where she conducts family interviews and collects data that focus on functional aspects and dementia severity. Her work at the Memory and Aging Center includes the nurse-run Behavior Management Clinic in which we assess and manage patients with problematic behavioral symptoms. She directs a research project exploring the dementia caregiver experience and provides support and education for family caregivers.

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 degree. 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).

Robin Ketelle received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from UCLA and a master’s degree in gerontological nursing from UCSF.

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 California Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (CADC). Her work at the CADCs 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.

Robin returned to the Memory and Aging Center in May 2006 and since that time has been the primary nurse for the NIH funded Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC) program, interviewing caregivers and study partners about participants’ everyday functioning, mood and behavior. She also manages the NIH-funded program project grant entitled Frontotemporal Dementia: Genes, Imaging and Emotions 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.

Natasha received her masters degree 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.

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.

She received her BA degree 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 a PhD degree 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.

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’s research examines the neuroanatomic changes that can cause altered personality and social behavior in dementia. She is working to develop tests of social and emotional cognition that will allow earlier, more accurate differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases like frontotemporal dementia, semantic dementia, and corticobasal degeneration. She is the principal investigator on a number of grants that have allowed her to investigate topics such as artistic creativity in dementia, and the link between hormones and social behavior.