People

Tanisha Hill-Jarrett, PhD

Assistant Adjunct Professor

Tanisha Hill-Jarrett, PhD, is a neuropsychologist and an assistant professor of neurology at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. Her research applies intersectionality theory to understand how psychosocial stressors and structural racism and sexism impact Black women’s cognitive aging and confer risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).

Molly Hodul, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Molly studied Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She then completed her PhD degree with Professor Peter Juo at Tufts University, where she investigated the regulation of the AMPA-type glutamate receptor by its deubiquitinating enzyme USP-46 in C. elegans. She identified two novel mechanisms by which USP-46 is stabilized and activated by two WD40-repeat proteins, WDR-48 and WDR-20, to promote AMPAR abundance and recycling to the neuronal surface. In the Kao lab, Molly will continue her research in protein homeostasis and degradation in C.

Brandon Holmes, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Brandon Holmes, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Memory and Aging Center (MAC). He completed his clinical fellowship at the MAC and his post-doctoral research in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the laboratory of James A. Wells, PhD, where he studies how microglia, the innate immune cells of the central nervous system, alter their proteome in the context of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. Learn more about his research here.

Kiet Hua, MD, PhD

Behavioral Neurology Clinical Fellow

Dr. Kiet (Robert) Hua completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior at the University of California, Davis. During his undergraduate studies, he developed a love of research, studying animal behavior. He completed further research training at the University of Houston where he studied drosophila genetics. He completed his Medical Degree (MD) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees at Albany Medical College. His PhD thesis focused on the study of primary cilia and their role in a category of neurodevelopmental disorders known as ciliopathies.

Maria Hunt

Administrative Manager, ND Brain Bank

Maria joined the Memory and Aging Center in February 2021 as Administrative Manager to provide operational, analytical and administrative support to the Neurodegenerative Disease Brain Bank. She has a BA degree in education, with minors in mathematics and Spanish literature from the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining the MAC, Maria managed education programs, business solutions and strategic initiatives in the healthcare, insurance and financial services industries, both nationally and internationally.

Sarah Inkelis, PhD

Assistant Professor

Sarah Inkelis is an assistant professor at the Memory and Aging Center. She completed her neuropsychology postdoctoral fellowship at the UCSF Dyslexia Center after earning her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology at the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program and finishing her internship in pediatric neuropsychology at the UCLA Semel Institute. Her PhD research examined neurobehavioral outcomes of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, with a particular emphasis on the relationships between sleep and neurodevelopment.

Robin Irey, PhD

Reading Education Specialist

Ashley Jackson

Clinical Research Coordinator

Ashley is transitioning from a former career as a ballet dancer to a field of medicine, science and groundbreaking clinical research. She graduated magna cum laude with a performing arts degree in the Liberal Education for Arts Professionals (LEAP) program at Saint Mary’s College of California. While focusing on her artistry as a ballerina, she enjoyed traveling the world and experiencing unique cultures.

Tanya Jain, BA

Research Data Analyst 2

Sevinc Jakab, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow in Neuropathology

Sevinç joined the Seeley Lab as a postdoctoral scholar in October 2023. She completed her BSc degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Boğaziçi University in Turkey. She then moved to Germany, where she earned her MSc degree in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology from Heidelberg University. Her Master's thesis focused on establishing culture conditions for circulating tumor cells from breast cancer patients in the lab of Andreas Trumpp at the German Cancer Research Center.

Sabrina Jarrott

Technical Project Manager

Sabrina (Erlhoff) Jarrott manages the development and implementation of the TabCAT software platform. TabCAT is a technologically and scientifically robust system for the administration of novel cognitive and behavioral assessment measures aimed at advancing early detection and monitoring of neurocognitive disorders developed by Dr. Kate Possin.

Shireen Javandel

Assistant Director for Operations and Impact, GBHI

Shireen provides oversight for resource allocation, risk mitigation, budgeting, and logistics for the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. She works closely with the Department of Neurology and other groups to optimize the administration of the program within UCSF.

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