Join us for an engaging discussion exploring the connections between neurodegeneration and cognitive decline and how they contribute to aging. Take a deep dive into various factors contributing to neurodegeneration, from genetic predispositions to environmental influences and the impact they have on cognitive functions. Discover how technology advancements, such as spatial neuroimaging and genetic sequencing, offer unprecedented opportunities to unravel the complexities of aging brains. Learn how lifestyle interventions involving diet, exercise, and cognitive stimulation show potential in promoting brain health and resilience. By bridging the gap between basic research and clinical applications, scientists are poised to redefine aging as a phase of life ripe with opportunities for maintaining cognitive vitality.

Don't miss this chance to engage with cutting-edge neuroscience and contribute to an insightful conversation about our aging minds. No on-site registrations will be available. Ticket includes drink tickets and appetizers.

IMPORTANT COVID INFORMATION:
You must complete this form from Calico before entering the event venue.

Program

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Check-in and networking
6:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.  Panel discussion
7:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Q&A and networking

Speaker Bios

Claire Clelland, PhD, MD, MPhil, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco

 As a neurologist, Claire specializes in caring for patients with dementia and cognitive symptoms at the UCSF Memory & Aging Center. Her lab at the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences develops novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Her current work centers on creating novel CRISPR gene therapies for genetic forms of dementia and ALS, utilizing patient iPSCs to model disease, advanced sequencing technologies and cutting-edge CRISPR technologies to develop first-in-class gene therapies for CNS diseases. The Clelland lab is committed to promoting equity and justice in science in medicine. One of the pillars of our lab is the mentoring and advancement of trainees from underrepresented backgrounds to become the next generation of scientific leaders.

Madeleine Cule, PhD, Director, Data Science at Calico Life Sciences, Moderator

Dr. Madeleine Cule uses statistical modeling to better understand the interplay between genetics, environment, and age in driving disease risk, using data from large human cohort studies. The ultimate goal is to generate new therapeutic hypotheses for aging-related disease. Before joining Calico, Madeleine was a data scientist at Verily, where she worked on early indicators of disease risk, and statistical measures of healthcare provider quality. Before that, Madeleine worked at Google, where she developed statistical methods to understand the effectiveness of online advertising campaigns. She did postdoctoral research in infectious disease epidemiology and bacterial genetics at the University of Oxford.

Sarah Huntwork-Rodriguez, PhD, Head of Translational Medicine at Denali Therapeutics

Sarah is Head of Translational Medicine and Principal Scientist at Denali Therapeutics in South San Francisco, California. Over the course of her eight years at Denali Therapeutics, she has gained deep expertise in translational and clinical studies in the neurodegeneration space, contributing most prominently to first-in-human studies for Denali's LRRK2 inhibitor program for Parkinson's disease. In her current role, she is a group leader responsible for the discovery, development, implementation, and publication of biomarkers of pharmacodynamic response and disease modification in interventional clinical studies across multiple neurodegeneration indications. She leads multidisciplinary teams and industry/academic collaborations to characterize molecular signatures of human disease, most recently working to discover Parkinson’s disease-related biomarkers in the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). As part of her work at Denali, she has authored multiple publications covering biomarker discovery, assay development, and reporting of clinical biomarker results in the neurodegeneration space. During her academic career, she focused on cellular and molecular neuroscience. A graduate of Stanford University, she obtained her PhD in neurobiology from the Department of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and did her postdoctoral work in the laboratories of Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Joseph Lewcock in the Department of Neuroscience at Genentech in South San Francisco, California. A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Huntwork-Rodriguez currently resides in the coastal San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children, ages 4 and 10.

Catherine Marreiro, PhD, ABPP-CN, Director of Neuropsychology at the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center (RDBHC) at California Pacific Medical Center

Dr. Catherine Marreiro is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and the Director of Neuropsychology at the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center (RDBHC) at California Pacific Medical Center. Additionally, she is the founder and President of Bay Area Cognitive Health, where she performs medicolegal evaluations, including determinations of decision-making capacity. She serves as immediate past president for the Northern California Neuropsychology Forum, member-at-large for Division VIII-Neuropsychology of California Psychological Association, and board member for the San Francisco Neurological Society. Through her past role as Senior Educational Consultant with Pearson Assessments, she provided educational seminars to professionals on a variety of Pearson Assessment products and neuropsychology topics, primarily for the training of raters for pharmaceutical clinical trials. Within the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center, she has served as a supervisor and mentor for practicum, internship, and post-doctoral trainees and remains actively involved in research through her role as Sub-Investigator for clinical drug trials targeting Alzheimer’s disease within the RDBHC. Dr. Marreiro earned her Master’s degree and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Arizona State University. Dr. Marreiro completed an APA approved pre-doctoral internship in Clinical Neuropsychology at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, IL and her two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology within the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the University of California, Davis.

Tina Schwabe, PhD, VP and Head of Biology at Nine Square Therapeutics

Unraveling the key cellular mechanisms to identify novel disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, FTD, and ALS is the primary goal for Tina Schwabe. With over a decade of experience in the biotech industry, Tina currently serves as the head of biology at Nine Square Therapeutics. Her team is focused on developing new small-molecule therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease and ALS that target autophagy pathways. Previously, she was among the first employees at Alector, where she led the Sortilin and TREM2 pre-clinical programs. The lead antibodies she helped develop are now in Phase 3 and Phase 2 trials for FTD and Alzheimer’s disease. Tina earned her PhD through a joint program at Rockefeller University and the University of Hohenheim and completed her postdoctoral studies at Stanford University.
 

Pricing Information

• Members/Guests: $25
• Non-members*: $40
• Students: $15
• Active Military/Veterans: $15

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Please read WIB's Code of Conduct, In-Person Event Waiver, and Refund Policy.

Note: A confirmation email will be sent after registration has been completed. 

Maximum Capacity

115

Parking Information 
Free parking is available onsite in an outdoor lot and in an adjacent free garage.

Public Transit Information
From San Francisco:
Take Yellow BART Line to South San Francisco Station
Take 130 Bus line to Oyster Pt & Veterans Blvd Stop
Walk about 0.2 Mi to Calico Labs

From San Jose/South Bay:
Take L1 Line to South San Francisco
Walk about 6 min to 130 Bus to Oyster Pt & Veterans Blvd Stop
Walk about 0.2 Mi to Calico Labs

From East Bay:
Take Yellow or Red BART line to South San Francisco Station
Take 130 Bus line to Oyster Pt & Veterans Blvd Stop
Walk about 0.2 Mi to Calico Labs