UCSF Fein Memory and Aging Center

Plasma p-tau217 levels can be used to predict when a cognitively unimpaired person will develop clinical symptoms of #Alzheimers disease: hubs.la/Q04g033V0 #NeuroTwitter @SuzanneESchind1 @UCSFmac @UFMBI

Healthy and unhealthy brain aging unfold in response to our complex world. Read our research briefing on neurosyndemics, published with @AgustinaLegaz, Smadar Shilo & the @NatureMedicine Editorial Team. DOI: nature.com/articles/s4159… | Original article: doi.org/10.1038/s41591…

Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center Lecture Series Monday, April 13, 10–11 a.m. PT Dorene M. Rentz, PsyD (Harvard Medical School), will discuss digital tools for detecting risk of cognitive decline in clinical and research settings. Register 👉 bit.ly/4vfz1n5

Gallery 190 Opening Reception: Nancy Richards Farese Thursday, April 9, 4:30–6 p.m. PT Sandler Neurosciences Center, Suite 190 Remarks at 5 p.m. by Dr. Bruce Miller and the artist. Free and open to the public. bit.ly/4c20LT5 #ArtAndMemory #Neuroscience

Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center Lecture Series Monday, April 13, 10–11 a.m. PT Dorene M. Rentz, PsyD (Harvard Medical School), will discuss digital tools for detecting risk of cognitive decline in clinical and research settings. Register 👉 bit.ly/4vfz1n5

Our colleague Manizhe Eslami Amirabadi just had a new article published in @FrontNeurol: "Additive effect of patient anosognosia and theory of mind deficit on dementia caregiver distress." This paper shows that anosognosia (unawareness of illness) and theory of mind deficits (inability to imagine what others are thinking) can occur in any dementia syndrome, even at the earliest stages, and that each of these symptoms can independently cause increased caregiver distress. We also found that when a patient has both symptoms together, this is particularly devastating for caregivers' well-being. This makes it crucial to screen for both problems when evaluating an individual for any midlife cognitive or behavioral concerns.💡🧠 📖Learn more here: frontiersin.org/journals/neuro… @UCSFmac

Gallery 190 Opening Reception: Nancy Richards Farese Thursday, April 9, 4:30–6 p.m. PT Sandler Neurosciences Center, Suite 190 Remarks at 5 p.m. by Dr. Bruce Miller and the artist. Free and open to the public. bit.ly/4c20LT5 #ArtAndMemory #Neuroscience

How do we choose music for others, especially for those with dementia who cannot always express their preferences? Ethical playlist curation honors the lived experiences of individuals, recognizing that music’s effects🎶 are deeply personal, relational, and culturally embedded. This recent paper by lab members Aaron Colverson @acolverson1 and Bailey McEachen poses a framework guided by the concept of musical humility. It sees playlist creation as an ongoing, collaborative process, asking not only what works, but for whom, in what contexts, and why. 🎵Learn more about this here: jbrainhealth.org/article/157731… @UCSFmac

Excited to share that I've been awarded the UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship @UC_PPFP! I'll be continuing my research on emotion perception and context integration in frontotemporal dementia at UCSF's Memory and Aging Center (@UCSFmac) with the @Rankin_Lab!

Shoutout to Thiago Avelino da Silva, MD, PhD (@geritjas.bsky.social), for presenting at the NIDUS Mentoring Session! His research on delirium neuropathology is helping shape future aging & brain health studies. 👏

So so excited for this remarkable and well-deserved opportunity for @halsty!!!!!!!! @UcsfPspg @UCSFmac @ReDLat_Dementia #Laboyama

Lab member Bailey Ortiz just published a new paper in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease @journal_ad: "Unveiling discrepancies in depression detection among persons with dementia: A comparative analysis of caregiver and self-report"🎉😄🍾✨ Our study found that in over one-third of individuals with early-stage dementia, patients and their caregivers disagree on whether the patient is depressed. Notably, caregivers especially overlook the patient's more internalized depression symptoms like hopelessness, and mistakenly assume depression is simply apathy. This study highlights the importance of integrating both self- and caregiver-reports about the patient's mood to ensure depression is detected and treated right when it appears. ➡️Read here: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13… @UCSFmac @AlzNorCalNorNev

In 2025, @UCSF received $824M from the National Institutes of Health, enabling "the basic science that expands our understanding of human biology and creates the foundation for new strategies to prevent and treat disease,” Chancellor Sam Hawgood says. ucsfh.org/4ltEBxK

"Don't think that having bad balance and falling is just a normal part of aging," UCSF physical therapist Jo Bergh tells @sfchronicle. Balance exercises, staying active & addressing vision & home safety can all help older adults stay steady, she explains. ucsfh.org/417ejYp

Exercise is good for the brain and that's thanks to a protein made in the liver that repairs the blood-brain barrier. The discovery could lead to better ways to treat and prevent the decline of aging by targeting this barrier rather than the brain itself. tiny.ucsf.edu/veiWWb

Join the UCSF Fein Memory and Aging Center Lecture 🗓 March 18 | 12–1 p.m. PT Michael W. McDermott, MD Miami Neurosciences Institute “Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: An Under-Appreciated Diagnosis in the Elderly.” 📍 NSCC, UCSF 💻 Virtual registration: bit.ly/4rjSzn5

Tau PET scans help clinicians visualize Alzheimer’s biology — but they don’t always reflect tau alone. New UCSF research shows other brain processes can influence scan signals, helping clinicians interpret results more accurately and avoid overdiagnosis. bit.ly/4ll0n6A

A recent @ScienceMagazine article highlights the creation of the @BluefieldProj and progress over 17 years toward therapies for FTD caused by GRN mutations. 🔗 science.org/content/articl… #FTDResearch #GRN #Progranulin #RareDiseaseResearch #BluefieldProject

🧬 Genetic Legacies: Book Talk & Panel Join a reading from Last Nerve by Mindy Uhrlaub, followed by a panel on genetics, stigma, testing, and resilience 🗓 Tues, March 10 | 4:30–5:30 p.m. 📍 Sandler Neurosciences Center, UCSF 🎟 Free & open to the public bit.ly/4rFujMx

What can an autopsy reveal about dementia? Join Drs. Miller & Soleimani-Meigooni in conversation with Deborah Kan & Susan Whitaker about their family’s decision to donate their mother’s brain to UCSF—and what it revealed. 🗓 March 10 🕐 1:30 p.m. PT RSVP bit.ly/3ORGyrt