News &amp; Announcements

2023

NOVEMBER 2023 — Featuring Jennifer Yokoyama, Stefanie Piña Escudero, and Caroline Jonson (Warly Solsberg)

Jennifer Yokoyama, Stefanie Piña Escudero, and Caroline Jonson (Warly Solsberg) presented at the 18^th International Geriatrics Congress in Mexico City in late November 2023. All three presented on topics related to sex differences in neurodegeneration.

MARCH 2023 — Citing Dan Sirkis (lead author)

Young Onset Dementia (YOD, not Yoda) / Early Onset (EOAD) 2023: New reviews, but any therapeutic insights?
Published by: Alzheimer Gadfly

2022

FALL 2022 — Featuring Ale Castruita

Ale Castruita completed her Master’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology through a San Francisco State University—University of California San Francisco joint program. Her thesis, “Bioinformatic Framework for assessing the role of rare genetic variants as modifiers of ALS/FTD in C9orf72 pathogenic expansion carriers,” was also defended in fall 2022, and her thesis defense was attended by many of her colleagues in the Yokoyama Lab. Congratulations, Ale!

JUNE 2022 — Featuring Stefanie Piña-Escudero (representing the lab and UCSF)

“Assessing Social Determinants of Health in Latin Americans”
Addressing Health Disparities Conference, Alzheimer´s Association International, Washington D.C.

AUG 2022 — Featuring Stefanie Piña-Escudero (representing the lab and UCSF)

“Social determinants of health questionnaire development for patients with Alzheimer's disease and Frontotemporal Dementia” at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2022 in San Diego, CA

“A call for globalization of clinical trials in Alzheimer disease and related dementias”
Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2022 in San Diego, CA

“BrainLat and GBHI”
Latin American and Caribbean Consortium on Dementia Meeting at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2022 in San Diego, CA

2021

AUG 2021 — Featuring Jennifer Yokoyama

Jennifer Yokoyama is awarded the new Mary Oakley Foundation Endowed Professor in Neurodegeneration. Dr. Yokoyama was honored in a virtual investiture ceremony on Tuesday, August 31, 2021.This endowed chair will allow the Yokoyama Lab to continue to move its work in neurogenetics and aging forward. The Yokoyama lab is very grateful to the Mary Oakley Foundation for its support.

SUMMER 2021 — Featuring Miguel E. Rentería

Miguel Rentería was awarded the Diversity in Parkinson’s research grant from the American Parkinson's Disease Association (APDA). This project will follow 1,000 Mexican Parkinson’s disease patients over two years and will provide novel insights about their clinical, cognitive, epidemiological, social, and genetic diversity. Miguel also completed the GBHI fellowship and is now a Lifelong Fellow.

JUNE 2021 — Featuring Jennifer Yokoyama

‘Jazz, Equity and Brain Health’
Live Virtual Event on June 15
Published by: San Francisco Conservatory of Music

SPRING & SUMMER 2021 — Featuring Stefanie Piña-Escudero

Stefanie Piña-Escudero:

Was awarded three grants: Seed Grant from the Latin American Brain Health Institute (April 2021); Weill Institute Women in Neurosciences grant for Research Support for Female Learners Impacted by COVID-19 (May 2021); WINGS Staff Development Grant (August 2021)
Presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference and Satellite Symposium, as well as at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting
Published five new articles

MARCH 2021 — Featuring Dan Sirkis (lead author)

The Role of Microglia in Inherited White-Matter Disorders and Connections to Frontotemporal Dementia
Published by: Applied Clinical Genetics

FEB 2021 — Featuring Dan Sirkis

Sirkis was awarded a Tau Consortium Fellowship for the Tau Consortium Investigators’ Meeting, during which he gave a “lightning round” presentation.

JAN 2021 — Featuring Jennifer Yokoyama

UCSF and Stanford Researchers Receive $4.8 Million Pilot Grant for a Multi-Site Study on Genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease in Asian Americans and Asian Canadians
Published by: UCSF School of Nursing

JAN 2021 — Featuring Adit Friedberg

Adit Friedberg:

Won a Hillblom Foundation Fellowship Grant for her project "Transcriptional landscape of cellular senescence in the human brain in healthy aging and in neurodegenerative diseases." Mentors on this scientific work: Drs. Bruce Miller and Jennifer Yokoyama.
Was appointed as the behavioral neurologist leading the Clinical Genetic Conferences in the Memory and Aging Center, in which the team discusses special cases that warrant additional genetic testing.