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.
Miraal grew up in Pakistan and England before moving to California, where she recently graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a BA degree in cognitive science. At Berkeley, she worked at the Jagust Lab, studying atrophy patterns in relation to aging and Alzheimer’s disease. She is currently an assistant clinical research coordinator in the Rabinovici Lab.
In her free time, Miraal enjoys swimming, spending time outside, reading, and exploring new coffee shops.
Marlene is a neuroimaging data analyst in the Rabinovici Lab. Originally from Guangdong, China, she received her BS degree in computational biology from UCLA in 2023 and her MS degree in health data science from UCSF in 2025. She joined the lab in late 2023 to pursue her capstone project on data-driven tau-PET subtypes in sporadic early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and now supports various ongoing research projects related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Maria Luisa Gorno Tempini is a behavioral neurologist, currently directing the Language Neurobiology laboratory of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center and the UCSF Dyslexia Center. She also directs the state-funded Multitudes Universal Screening Project, one of the four reading difficulties risk screeners approved by a state appointed panel for use in California public schools beginning in Fall of 2025. She obtained her medical degree and clinical neurology specialty training in Italy, and has a PhD in the neuroimaging of language from University College London.
Aidyn was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. In May 2024, she graduated from Whitman College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in biology. She previously worked as a student researcher in the Psychology Department at Whitman College, investigating the effect of language framing on victim-blaming attitudes and prosocial behavior. Aidyn is now an Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator for the PET program in the Rabinovici Lab at the Memory and Aging Center.
Lyzzette graduated from UC Merced with a BS degree in Cognitive Science and a minor in Psychology before she obtained her Master's degree in Neuroimaging and Informatics from the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine. During her master's program, she joined Dr.
Celina graduated from the University of San Diego with a BA degree in Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in Philosophy before she obtained her MS degree in Neuroimaging and Informatics from the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.
Fangda was enrolled in an 8-year MD program at Peking University in 2013. After obtaining his Bachelor of Medicine degree in 2018, he joined Prof. Edison’s lab at Imperial College London and was awarded his PhD degree in brain science. He continued his clinical program in 2021 and obtained his medical degree in neurology in 2024. He is now a post-doctoral researcher in TeeLab at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, with a focus on neuroimaging research.
Jacob completed his doctoral work in Neuroscience in the Jagust lab at UC Berkeley, where he investigated the effects of network connectivity on Alzheimer’s pathology spread and cognitive aging. His research utilizes fMRI and PET imaging to study the biological substrates of changes in cognition.
