Claire Clelland, MD, PhD
Claire Clelland, MD, PhD, is a clinician-scientist in the UCSF Department of Neurology at the Weill Institute for Neurosciences, where she leads the Clelland Laboratory at the UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center. Her research is focused on developing cures for dementia and related neurodegenerative diseases, with an emphasis on single-gene (monogenic) causes of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Dr. Clelland’s work focuses on developing CRISPR gene therapies that can remove mutations causing disease from the genome. She also works to understand how genetic mutations, such as those in the C9orf72 gene, contribute to neurodegeneration. Her laboratory uses CRISPR gene-editing techniques and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model disease mechanisms in relevant cell types. By refining and developing more accurate cellular models of neurodegenerative diseases, Dr. Clelland and her team aim to uncover novel therapeutic strategies that can prevent or reverse disease progression.
In addition to her research, Dr. Clelland is deeply committed to advancing patient care for individuals affected by FTD, AD, ALS, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Her work combines innovative genetic approaches with translational applications, bridging the gap between scientific discovery and clinical treatments.
Dr. Clelland earned her PhD at UCSD through an international collaboration with the University of Cambridge (where she obtained her MPhil concurrently), working on the role of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in memory formation. She earned her MD at UCLA. She completed her residency training in Neurology at UCSF, followed by a research fellowship at the Gladstone Institutes and the UCSF Fein Memory and Aging Center.
