staff

Lynn Kurteff, PhD, CF-SLP, is a postdoctoral scholar in the ALBA Lab at the UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center. Their research focuses on primary progressive aphasia (PPA), exploring the complex relationship between neurodegenerative diseases and the coordination of motor systems during speech production.

Emily Cheang is a researcher in the Kao Lab at the Memory and Aging Center, where she contributes to advancing neuroscience and neurobiology research. Her work focuses on understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying brain health and disease.

Crystal Yixin Luo serves as a data systems analyst for the Multitudes project, a groundbreaking digital platform and research system dedicated to advancing literacy outcomes and brain health. Luo plays a critical role in managing and analyzing complex data to drive the project’s mission in these areas.

Rituja Bhowmik earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and metabolic biology from UC Berkeley in May 2025. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted wet-lab research and developed a passion for basic science, culminating in an honors thesis on transcription in the human placenta. She is dedicated to community health and previously worked as a bilingual community health worker, serving various patient populations in the East Bay, including at Highland Hospital.

Brianna has joined the Boxer Trials team as an assistant clinical research coordinator. She graduated from the University of San Francisco in 2022 and is originally from Orange County, California. Brianna brings valuable experience in neuroscience research, including studying the mechanisms underlying sleep in zebrafish, and previously worked at Genentech in the Protein Analytical Chemistry department. She is excited to be part of the clinical trials team at the Memory and Aging Center, where she aims to help advance access to treatments for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Yun-Ting (Katie) was born in Taiwan and is a registered nurse with several years of clinical experience in emergency medicine and anesthesiology in Taiwan. She earned her master’s degree in global health sciences from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 2025.

Andrea earned a Master of Science degree in biomedical engineering, with a specialization in stem cell research, from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She is a specialist in the Kao Lab.

Maya earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in molecular and cell biology with a concentration in neurobiology from the University of California, Berkeley. She has joined the clinical trials team at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center and plans to pursue a career in healthcare, specializing in neurology.

In her free time, Maya enjoys running, camping, and spending time outdoors.