People

Luke began working with the Yokoyama Lab in 2013 as part of a longitudinal imaging study focused on frontotemporal dementia.

Iris is a postdoctoral scholar in the Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Department at UCSF. Her research combines neuroimaging, genetics, and computational methods to discover pathological mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative conditions. Her main research goal is to develop novel genetic and imaging biomarkers that will enhance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

In her free time, Iris enjoys traveling, spending time with family, hiking and scuba diving.

Ale joined the Yokoyama Lab through a post baccalaureate NIH-funded fellowship where she studied clinico-pathologically interesting cases of Alzheimer’s disease. She developed a fascination for identifying a genetic relationship to disease through her very first undergrad research experience at the Health Equity Research Lab at San Francisco State University, where she examined the ancestral linkage between triple-negative breast cancer and African Ancestry. In fall 2022, she completed her Master’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology through a San Francisco State University—University of California San Francisco joint program.

Valerie joined the Yokoyama Lab in January 2023 as a staff scientist with a career-long interest in evaluating genetic factors involved in neurodegenerative diseases. She earned a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Michigan, where she identified transcriptional regulation sequences for a gene involved in epilepsy and movement disorders. During her postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Robert Nussbaum’s lab at NHGRI and UCSF, she studied the role of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease.

Phuong is a second-year Movement Disorders clinical fellow at UCSF. She graduated from the MD/PhD program at Columbia and went on to complete her adult Neurology residency at Stanford before coming to UCSF. She is interested in studying mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease, especially Parkinson's disease and related parkinsonian disorders.

Taylor joins us from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he studied both microbiology and enology. Prior to his start at UCSF, Taylor worked as a Research Assistant at Cal Poly in cell culture utilizing various commercial probiotics, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, to elucidate human intestinal epithelial and immune cell relationships upon probiotic and pathogenic challenge.

During his free time, Taylor enjoys surfing, playing music, cooking, fermenting, painting, and running.

Jared is a PhD student in the PSPG program. Prior to joining the Yokoyama Lab, he received his BS and MS in Quantitative and Computational Biology from the University of Southern California. Jared's research interests center around uncovering the genetic and molecular underpinnings of neurodegeneration to improve diagnosis and treatment.

Outside of the lab, Jared can be found rock climbing, backpacking, playing guitar and banjo, and biking around the city.

Alexis is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Data Science and a concentration in Urban Science. As an Undergraduate Research Assistant, Alexis studied the impact of the technology industry on housing in the Bay Area. Her specialities include data mapping and data visualization, and she is deeply interested in the intersections of neurology, data science, and social justice.

Outside of work, Alexis loves to cook and is always looking for the next camping adventure.

Meri earned her bachelor's degree in biotechnology with a focus in cellular, molecular, and microbial biology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is currently a student in the PSPG program, working with the Andrews and Yokoyama labs. Her research focuses on understanding how genetic, environmental, and socioeconomic determinants interplay in Alzheimer’s disease across Black, Hispanic, and White populations.

In her free time, Meri enjoys exploring different parks with her dog, spending time with her friends, and baking bread.

Jake is a student in the PSPG program and a rotational student in the Yokoyama lab. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a major in quantitative biology and a minor in American Indian and Indigenous studies. Before joining PSPG, he worked at Genentech as part of the development sciences rotational program. Jake is interested in investigating genetic factors that influence neurodegenerative disease with a focus on underrepresented populations.

Outside of work and his studies, Jake enjoys hiking, cooking, and playing competitive Spikeball.

Stefanie is a 2020 addition to the Yokoyama Lab as a part of the multi-partner consortium to expand dementia research in Latin America (ReDLat). This project is focused on exploring the genetic, radiological and socioeconomic determinants of Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia in Latin America. She is particularly interested in the role that mistreatment and stress play in neurodegeneration when they interact with genetic and radiological variables.

Oscar is the Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator at the Yokoyama Lab. He joins our lab to support the research focussed on the genetic, structural and cognitive characterization of alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia in Central and South American populations.

Ariel joined the Yokoyama Lab in February 2024 as a Staff Research Associate. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where she received her bachelor’s in English and in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Ariel has experience assisting with research into the effects of environmental air pollution on neurodegenerative disease, as well as working in a clinical pathology setting; she is interested in learning more about neurogenetics. In her free time, Ariel enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring San Francisco, and drawing at coffee shops

Karen Shuster designs, develops, and maintains custom websites across many units at UCSF, built on Drupal or WordPress platforms. She also trains staff, as needed. For many divisions, she provides marketing support, including brochures and business cards and creates visual branding for large scientific symposia and conferences, including web sites, digital signage, programs, stage banners, slides, table materials, posters, Mailchimp announcements, and more.

Dan is a staff scientist in the Memory and Aging Center studying cellular and molecular changes in the context of neurodegeneration. He is particularly interested in the transcriptional alterations of peripheral blood cells in early-onset dementia syndromes and hopes to leverage this information to enable a more robust understanding of the cell biology of neurodegeneration. Dan completed PhD work in cell biology in 2012 with Robert H. Edwards at UCSF. In 2018, he completed postdoctoral training in membrane trafficking and biochemistry with Randy Schekman at UC Berkeley and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

When not working, Dan enjoys traveling, fishing, and tasting new wines.

Ilaria is a medical student at UCSF. Prior to joining the Yokoyama lab, she graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Molecular and Cell Biology and spent her gap years as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Stanford.

Ilaria's research interests include uncovering genetic pathways, increasing genetic sequencing in underrepresented populations, and resilience to neurodegeneration.

Outside of medical school, Ilaria can be found running, baking sourdough, or doing anything outdoors!

Ana Tyler, JD, MA, received her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University and her law degree with a concentration in health law and policy and master’s degree in bioethics from Case Western Reserve University. After completing a fellowship in Clinical Ethics from Sutter Health (California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco), she worked as a clinical ethicist at Beaumont Health in the metro Detroit, Michigan area.

Ana is currently a program manager at the Memory and Aging Center and works with Jalayne Arias, JD, MA, and Jennifer Yokoyama, PhD, on their research examining legal, ethical, policy and social issues relating to genetic data sharing and predictive testing for neurodegenerative illnesses.

María is a biologist from Universidad de Caldas (Manizales, Colombia). She earned her M.Sc. and PhD in Biological Sciences from Universidad de los Andes. Her main research interests lie in the genetics and epigenetics of neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as in exploring modifiable risk factors and interventions aimed at promoting well-being among patients and caregivers. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Human Genetics, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Bogotá, Colombia).