UCSF’s innovative, collaborative approach to patient care, research and education spans disciplines across the life sciences, making it a world leader in scientific discovery and its translation to improving health.
At the Memory and Aging Center, Antonia assists families with the brain donation process and acts as Dr. William Seeley’s administrative assistant. She graduated in 2021 from UC Davis with a BS degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. She participated in health-related internships and was a member of several clubs such as Alzheimer’s Buddies, Pre-Dental Society, and Outdoor Crew.
Ariel joined the Yokoyama Lab at the Memory and Aging Center in February 2024 as a Staff Research Associate. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where she received her bachelor’s degree in English and in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Ariel has experience assisting with research into the effects of environmental air pollution on neurodegenerative disease, as well as working in a clinical pathology setting; she is interested in learning more about neurogenetics.
Rhiana Schafer is a Research Data Analyst with 6+ years of experience in a variety of research settings, from small labs to large centers. Her research interests include a variety of aspects of neuroscience and aging, including the language network and primary progressive aphasia (PPA), music interventions in dementia, and health equity and equal access to care. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 2016, with a double major in Cognitive Science and Molecular & Cellular Biology.
Athena studied Integrative Biology and Classics at UC Berkeley. She was involved in archaeological research and assisted the excavation of a prehistoric cemetery in Greece. On campus, she was a volunteer EMT and worked as a chef for her housing cooperative. Her experiences volunteering in hospice and nursing facilities led her to the Memory and Aging Center, where she assists patients, families, and caregivers with the autopsy program.
Dr. Seeley attended medical school at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, where he first encountered patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 1999, during a research elective with Dr. Bruce Miller. He completed a neurology residency at Harvard Medical School, training at the Massachusetts General and Brigham & Women's Hospitals. Returning to UCSF for a Behavioral Neurology fellowship, Dr.
Marni graduated from the University of Florida with a BS degree in Psychology – Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience and a minor in Zoology. At UF, she was a Research Assistant for a Neurocognitive Lab studying addiction. She also coded qualitative data on the impact of COVID-19 on college students, created a scientific poster for an international conference and wrote a manuscript that is currently under review for publication. Marni was Clinic Manager at a Neuropsychology Clinic where she gained experience scoring and administering neuropsychological tests.
