Language

Sarah Inkelis, PhD, is an assistant professor at the UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, where she combines her expertise in clinical neuropsychology with her passion for advancing research on neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions. Her work focuses on understanding cognitive and behavioral processes across the lifespan, with a particular interest in dyslexia and other learning differences.

Melissa is a Learning & Intervention Specialist in the ALBA Lab and Dyslexia Center.

Maria Luisa Mandelli, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, where she leads the imaging program of the language team (ALBA Lab).

Jessica de Leon, MD, is an associate professor in the UCSF Department of Neurology at the Weill Institute for Neurosciences and a clinician-researcher at the Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center. Dr. de Leon specializes in the care of patients with cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and primary progressive aphasia (PPA).

Dr. Zachary Miller is a neurologist at the UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, where he specializes in the diagnosis and care of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and primary progressive aphasia. His work bridges clinical care and research to enhance understanding, facilitate early detection, and improve treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr. Watson graduated from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology-Stanford PsyD Consortium in 2014. She has a background in psychology, developmental biology, neuroimaging and neuropsychology. Her research interests include brain development across the lifespan and, in particular, in the neuroscience of typical and atypical learning. She is currently working in the ALBA Language Neurobiology Lab with Dr. Maria Luisa Gorno Tempini.