UCSF Memory and Aging Center

04/17/2025

We’re excited to announce the release of _Mysteries of the Social Brain_ by UCSF Memory and Aging Center Director Dr. Bruce Miller and faculty member Dr. Virginia Sturm. It is now available for purchase on Amazon!

Mysteries of the Social Brain unravels the scientific foundations of human behavior and values through fascinating clinical stories of individuals with neurological conditions. Discover the brain circuits that allow us to thrive socially and creatively, and learn how changes in these circuits impact empathy, altruism, moral beliefs, and creativity. Integrating insights from neurology, psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience, Dr. Miller and Dr. Sturm reveal the inner workings of the social brain and groundbreaking findings from their work on frontotemporal dementia, emotion, and human values. Learn simple steps to improve your social brain’s functioning and explore how neuroscience can change societies for the better.

Perfect for curious readers, clinicians, and scientists interested in human social behavior, cognition, and emotion.
Get your copy today on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Social-Brain-Understanding-Behavior/dp/1032814284/

We would love to hear your thoughts! Share your reviews on Amazon and let us know what you think.

We offer easy, convenient returns with at least one free return option: no shipping charges. All returns must comply with our returns policy.

03/22/2025

Please join the next Dementia Care Aware Webinar:

"Understanding the New Diagnostics and Treatments in Alzheimer's Disease"

Presenters:
Lawren Vandevrede, MD, PhD
University of California, San Francisco

Anna Chodos, MD, MPH
Dementia Care Aware

Tues, March 25
1 to 2 p.m. PDT via Zoom

register 👉 www.dementiacareaware.org

Participants of the live webinar are eligible to receive 1 CE/CME credit, including AMA, ANCC, AAPA, and ASWB credit.

You may also sign up to take the cognitive health assessment training (1.5 CE and CME credit) at www.dementiacareaware.org.

03/10/2025

"The remarkable thing about [PPA] is that it tends to attack circuits in the front of the brain that are responsible for, on the left side, language and, on the right side, social skills," said Dr. Bruce Miller, Director of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center and Founding Director of the Global Brain Health Institute at UCSF.

When Dylan Sullivan picks up her pencil, every point, every line and every shape is made with mathematical precision.

02/19/2025

UCSF researchers in Neurology and at the MAC investigated how different levels of Vitamin B12 within the “normal” range affect brain function and structure in healthy older adults. Current nutritional guidelines for B12 may need to be reassessed to ensure optimal brain health, particularly in older adults.

A study found that B12 requirements may be too low for some people, putting them at risk for cognitive decline.

12/26/2024

Linde Jacobs’ dedication to ending frontotemporal dementia (FTD) inspires UCSF Memory and Aging Center scientists as they search for treatments. Her courage to turn personal tragedy into a force for good is remarkable. We support Linde and all those fighting against FTD.

A mutant gene is coming to steal Linde Jacobs’s mind. Can she find a way to stop it?

12/17/2024

We are delighted to announce that California officials picked the UCSF Dyslexia Center-developed screener, Multitudes, as a tool for public schools to spot early signs of reading problems including dyslexia.

“We’re using technology to bring UCSF's cutting-edge neuroscience directly into California's classrooms,” said Marilu Gorno Tempini, MD, PhD, director of the UCSF Dyslexia Center. “Our screener is science-backed, free of charge, and culturally responsive,” she said. “It supports early readers from diverse backgrounds, including California’s more than 1.1 million English learners.”

California officials have picked a UC San Francisco-created tool as one that public schools can use to spot early signs of reading problems including dyslexia.

12/17/2024

We are so proud of the Memory and Aging Center scientists who made this list! Adam L. Boxer, MD, PhD; Lea T. Grinberg, MD, PhD; Joel H. Kramer, PsyD; Renaud La Joie, PhD; Bruce L. Miller, MD; Gil Rabinovici, MD; and William W. Seeley, MD

Nearly 50 UCSF researchers have been named to Clarivate’s list of most influential scientists for 2024.

12/12/2024

Come by to view Dylan Sullivan's exhibit "Courageous, Curious & Creativity" hanging in Gallery190 at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. The last day is December 20, 2024.

10/03/2024

Join the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in celebrating the American conductor, pianist, composer, and Music Director Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas and the release of his new album GRACE. Net proceeds from the event will benefit UCSF Brain Tumor Center as a gesture of gratitude to UCSF Neurosurgery for the treatment and care Tilson Thomas received.

SFCM Celebrates GRACE: The Music of Michael Tilson Thomas
Tuesday, Oct 8, 2024
6 p.m. Reception, 7 p.m. Performance
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Deleage Family Reception Area
Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall
50 Oak Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music invites you to join us for a musical celebration of the release of GRACE: The Music of Michael Tilson Thomas.In celebration of his 80th birthday, Pentatone Music, in association with SFCM, will release GRACE: The Music of Michael Tilson Thomas, a collection sp...

09/06/2024

EAST BAY: Join our 15th Annual African American Alzheimer's Forum: Breaking Down Barriers on Sat., Sept. 14 in Berkeley. Experts will discuss access to care & treatment pipelines along with local clinical trials. Thanks to our Bay Area Alzheimer's Advisory Council. Free to register: tinyurl.com/AlzAAForum2024

09/06/2024

“Unlike typical clinical trials, platform trials can remain open with multiple new therapies tested in successive cycles if the first ones don’t work,” said Adam Boxer, MD, PhD, endowed professor in memory and aging at the UCSF Department of Neurology, as well as a principal investigator in the trial. “This means there are more opportunities to identify effective treatments in a faster timeframe, with lower cost and less burden to participants. Patients on the PSP trial will have a 75% chance of treatment with an active drug and after one year, all participants will have the opportunity to receive a drug.”

"Even if we slow the progression of the disease by 20%, 30%, that’s a meaningful impact on a condition with relentless progression and no cure.”
—Julio Rojas, MD, PhD
Principal investigator of the trial

A clinical trial that will test three drugs concurrently, and could include more, represents new hope for patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), an incurable neurodegenerative disorder that usually kills within seven years after symptoms start.

09/05/2024