Our Team

murray-grossman-006-cropped.original "Our center is dedicated to the care of individuals with Frontotemporal degeneration spectrum disorders. Understanding the basis for Frontotemporal degeneration will improve quality of life and lead to a cure for these conditions."

- MURRAY GROSSMAN, DIRECTOR, PENN FTD CENTER

DIRECTORS

Corey McMillan PhD (he/him)
Associate Professor
Email Corey McMillan PhD (he/him)
215-614-0987

Read More about Corey McMillan PhD (he/him)

Corey McMillan PhD (he/him)
Associate Professor
mcmillac@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
215-614-0987

Biography

The overall mission of my Bioinformatics in Neurodegenerative Disease (BiND) Lab, housed within the Penn FTD Center, is to use multimodal and bioinformatic approaches to improve our understanding of the biological basis of neurodegenerative conditions. Corey McMillan's lab aims to develop robust biomarkers that can be used to better diagnose neurodegenerative diseases, accelerate drug discovery of disease-modifying agents, and to define essential clinical trial endpoint measures. His clinical-translation research program focuses on two classes of neurodegenerative proteinopathies including the misfolded tau protein that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), primary age-related tauopathy (PART), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), as well as the TDP-43 protein that contributes to a spectrum of FTLD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His lab emphasizes biologically-grounded hypotheses with novel analytic and multimodal approaches integrating MRI and PET imaging modalities with genomics and clinical datasets. Corey is also affiliated with several research centers at the University of Pennsylvania including Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Penn Institute on Aging, Penn Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Penn Neurodegeneration Genomics Center, and MindCORE.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/corey.mcmillan.1/bibliography/public/
David Irwin MD
Assistant Professor
Email David Irwin MD
215- 662-3361

Read More about David Irwin MD

David Irwin MD
Assistant Professor
dirwin@mail.med.upenn.edu
215- 662-3361

Biography

Dr. David Irwin co-directs the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and is the PI of the Penn Digital Neuropathology Lab. He has dual training in cognitive neurology and neuropathology and his lab focuses on integrating human brain histopathology and molecular techniques with imaging methods to discover therapeutic targets and develop tissue-sensitive biomarkers to facilitate clinical trials for emerging therapies for FTD, LBD, AD and related disorders.

Dr. Irwin is accepting new patient appointments through the PENN Frontotemporal Degeneration Center. To schedule an appointment, please call (215) 662-3361.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/david.irwin.1/bibliography/public/
Lauren Massimo PhD, CRNP
Assistant Professor
Email Lauren Massimo PhD, CRNP

Read More about Lauren Massimo PhD, CRNP

Lauren Massimo PhD, CRNP
Assistant Professor
Lauren.Massimo@uphs.upenn.edu

Biography

Lauren Massimo is a graduate of the PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania. She is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Massimo holds a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from The Pennsylvania State University and master’s degree as an Adult and Gerontology Nurse Practitioner from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Massimo’s research focuses on identifying the cognitive and neural basis for decline in neurodegenerative disease. Over her decade-long career as a nurse practitioner in cognitive neurology, she has enjoyed the opportunity to work with and support many patients with neurodegenerative disease and their families. She has received numerous grants and awards including the John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity pre-doctoral fellowship and two National Research Service Awards. She is currently funded by the National Institute on Aging for her work on cognitive reserve in young-onset dementia.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/lauren.massimo.1/bibliography/public/
Murray Grossman MD, EdD
Professor of Neurology

Read More about Murray Grossman MD, EdD

Murray Grossman MD, EdD
Professor of Neurology

Biography

Dr. Grossman received his M.D.C.M. from McGill University and completed his residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he is now Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Director of the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center. He was editor of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology for a decade, and currently serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals. Dr. Grossman has published almost 500 scientific papers, and is known professionally for his special interest and research contributions related to FTD and other early-onset neurodegenerative diseases. He has extensive clinical experience in diagnosis and management of FTD and related conditions. Dr. Grossman directs a team of researchers and clinicians in studies related to the diagnosis and treatment of FTDs including: understanding the neural basis of language social cognition, developing advanced techniques in neuroimaging and biofluid biomarkers in early-onset neurodegenerative conditions, relating measures of these conditions directly to neuropathology, and applying this knowledge to clinical care. He served as the foundingChair of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board for the Association for Frontotemporal Degenerations, founding Board of Governors of the Society for the Neurobiology of Language, and Chair of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Aphasia, and currently serves on the governing board of the International Society of the Frontotemporal Degenerations.

Publications

1.    Grossman, M.: Primary progressive aphasia: Clinical-pathological correlations. Nature Reviews Neurology 6;88-97, 2010.

2.    Grossman, M.: The non-fluent/agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia. Lancet Neurology 11;545-555, 2012.

3.    Irwin DJ, McMillan CT, Xie SX, Rascovsky K, Van Deerlin VM, Coslett HB, Hamilton R, Aguirre GK, Lee EB, Lee VMY, Trojanowski JQ, Grossman M.: Asymmetry of post-mortem neuropathology in behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia. Brain. 2018 Jan 1;141(1):288-301. doi: 10.1093/brain/awx319.

4.    Grossman, M.: Linguistic aspects of primary progressive aphasia. Annual Review of Linguistics 4, 377-403, 2018.

5.    Phillips JS, Da Re F, Irwin DJ, McMillan CT, Vaishnavi SN, Xie SX, Lee EB, Cook PA, Gee JC, Shaw LM, Trojanowski JQ, Wolk DA, Grossman M.: Longitudinal progression of grey matter atrophy in non-amnestic Alzheimer's disease. Brain. 2019 Jun 1;142(6):1701-1722. doi: 10.1093/brain/awz091.

6.    Nevler N, Ash S, Irwin DJ, Liberman M, Grossman M.: Validated automatic speech biomarkers in primary progressive aphasia. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2019 Jan;6(1):4-14. doi: 10.1002/acn3.653.

7.    Zhang, J.V., Irwin D.J., Blennow, K., Zetterberg, H., Lee, E.B., Shaw, L.M., Rascovsky, K., Massimo, L., McMillan, C.T., Chen-Plotkin, A., Elman, L., Lee, V.M.-Y., McCluskey, L., Toledo, J.B., Weintraub, D., Wolk, D., Trojanowski, J.Q., Grossman, M.: Neurofilament Light Chain Related to Longitudinal Decline in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration. Neurology: Clinical Practice, in press.

FACULTY

Sara Manning MD, MS
Assistant Professor
Email Sara Manning MD, MS

Read More about Sara Manning MD, MS

Sara Manning MD, MS
Assistant Professor
smannin@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Dr. Manning received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Harvard University, where she graduated magna cum laude prior to moving to Philadelphia. She received her medical degree, along with a master's degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology, from the University of Pennsylvania. She went on to complete residency in neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she subsequently completed a fellowship in cognitive neurology. She now works both in the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and the Penn Memory Center. She’s particularly interested in narrative medicine and teaching the lay public about neurologic afflictions. She's published work in The New York Times and The Boston Globe Magazine and is working on a book about molecules that hijack the brain.
Jeffrey Phillips PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Email Jeffrey Phillips PhD

Read More about Jeffrey Phillips PhD

Jeffrey Phillips PhD
Research Assistant Professor
jefphi@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

My research is driven by a desire to understand the progression of neurodegenerative disease and predict its effects at an individual patient level. My current research program includes a focus on atypical, earlier-onset variants of Alzheimer’s disease and on mixed pathologies. Methodologically, this work leverages MRI-based measures of grey and white matter degeneration (Phillips, Da Re, et al., 2018, 2019) as well as positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of tau protein accumulation to evaluate patients’ disease progression during life (Phillips et al., 2018, 2021). My long-term translational research plan is to develop quantitative, biomarker-based models of disease risk that link information from the molecular level (genotyping and pathology) to the systems level (structural, functional, and molecular neuroimaging) and overt behavior (neuropsychological and cognitive neuroscientific assessment). I aim to apply this research translationally to predict disease spread and cognitive changes on the individual patient level. By enhancing the diagnostic and prognostic value of antemortem imaging, we can more accurately target clinical care efforts and potential disease-modifying therapies.
Katheryn Cousins (she/her)
Research Assistant Professor
Email Katheryn Cousins (she/her)

Read More about Katheryn Cousins (she/her)

Katheryn Cousins (she/her)
Research Assistant Professor
katheryn.cousins@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Katheryn Cousins is a Research Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Center. Her research evaluates cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), plasma, and digital biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal degeneration, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body diseases. This work has the translational goal of improving the accuracy of in vivo screening and of capturing pathologic and clinical heterogeneity in life.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/katheryn.cousins.2/bibliography/public/
Katya Rascovsky PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Email Katya Rascovsky PhD
215-662-2680

Read More about Katya Rascovsky PhD

Katya Rascovsky PhD
Research Assistant Professor
katyaras@mail.med.upenn.edu
215-662-2680

Biography

Dr. Katya Rascovsky is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She received her BA in Biological Basis of Behavior and Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a MA in Psychology from New York University. From 1995-1999 she worked in a memory disorder’s clinic and taught neuropsychology in her native country of Colombia. In 2005, she was awarded her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Rascovsky completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Neuropsychology at the Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, where she also worked as an Instructor and Assistant Professor.

Dr. Rascovsky’s research has focused on identifying the cognitive and behavioral markers of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). Her research also includes studies of survival and clinical progression of patients with frontotemporal degeneration. Current research interests include social norm violation, politeness and compulsivity in bvFTD, as well as studies of impulsivity using neuroeconomic methods. She also conducts cross-cultural studies of young-onset dementia in Latin America.

Naomi Nevler

Research Assistant Professor
Email
215-615-3427

Emma Rhodes PhD
Neuropsychologist
Email Emma Rhodes PhD

Read More about Emma Rhodes PhD

Emma Rhodes PhD
Neuropsychologist
Emma.Rhodes@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Emma Rhodes completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Temple University, predoctoral internship in Neuropsychology at UCSD, and postdoctoral fellowship in Geropsychology and Neuropsychology at UCSF/San Francisco VA Medical Center. She is an instructor and clinical neuropsychologist in the Neurology department at the University of Pennsylvania and serves as the Co-Chair of the Social Media Committee of the International Neuropsychological Society.

Dr. Rhodes’ research focuses on mechanisms of neuropsychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative disease, with an emphasis on social and emotional dysfunction in bvFTD, and the impact of psychosocial factors, such as mood and personality, on clinical and cognitive outcomes in aging and dementia. She additionally works as a clinical neuropsychologist, conducting comprehensive clinical assessments of patients with a wide range of neurologic and psychiatric etiologies. She strives to conduct research that is clinically informed and meaningful for patients and their families. In her free time, Dr. Rhodes enjoys painting, reading contemporary fiction, and telling dogs how good they are.

Publications

[1] Rhodes E, Insel PS, Butters MA, Morin R, Bickford D, Tosun D, Gessert D, Rosen HJ, Aisen P, Raman R, Landau S, Saykin A, Toga A, Jack CR, Weiner MW, Nelson C, Mackin S, on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging I, the ADP (2021) The Impact of Amyloid Burden and APOE on Rates of Cognitive Impairment in Late Life Depression. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 80, 991-1002.

[2] Mackin RS, Insel PS, Landau S, Bickford D, Morin R, Rhodes E, Tosun D, Rosen HJ, Butters M, Aisen P, Raman R, Saykin A, Toga A, Jack C, Jr., Koeppe R, Weiner MW, Nelson C (2021) Late-Life Depression Is Associated With Reduced Cortical Amyloid Burden: Findings From the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Depression Project. Biological Psychiatry 89, 757-765.

[3] Rhodes E, & Giovannetti T (2021) Grit and successful aging in older adults. Aging & mental health, 1–8.

[4] Mackin RS, Rhodes E, Insel PS, Nosheny R, Finley S, Ashford M, Camacho MR, Truran D, Mosca K, Seabrook G, Morrison R, Narayan VA, Weiner M (2021) Reliability and Validity of a Home-Based Self-Administered Computerized Test of Learning and Memory Using Speech Recognition. Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn, 1-15.

[5] Rhodes E, Lamar M, Libon DJ, Giovannetti T (2019) Memory for Serial Order in Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Dementia: A Competitive Queuing Analysis. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 34, 2-13.

[6] Rhodes E, Devlin KN, Steinberg L, Giovannetti T (2017) Grit in adolescence is protective of late-life cognition: non-cognitive factors and cognitive reserve. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition 24, 321-332.

[7] Kessler RK, Rhodes E, Giovannetti T (2015) Environmental Adaptations Improve Everyday Action in Schizophrenia. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 21, 319-329

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

Barbara Spencer PhD (she/her)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email Barbara Spencer PhD (she/her)

Read More about Barbara Spencer PhD (she/her)

Barbara Spencer PhD (she/her)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Barbara.Spencer@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Barbara joined the FTD Center as a postdoctoral fellow after completing her PhD in Neurosciences at UC San Diego. Leveraging genotype and transcriptomic approaches, she aims to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms that contribute to clinical heterogeneity across TDP-43 proteinopathies.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/barbara.spencer.1/bibliography/public/
Sanjana Shellikeri
Postdoctoral Fellow

Read More about Sanjana Shellikeri

Sanjana Shellikeri
Postdoctoral Fellow

Biography

Sanjana joined the Penn FTD Center as a post-doctoral research fellow in September 2019. She received her Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology with a Collaborative Specialization in Neuroscience from the University of Toronto, Canada. Her research works to delineate motor from cognitive-linguistic effects on speech and to link speech behaviors to underlying pathology in neurodegenerative diseases. This research is aimed at developing valid and reliable clinical biomarkers which has implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic trials.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1FKKfcV_FUSEDg/bibliography/public/
Ting Shen PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email Ting Shen PhD

Read More about Ting Shen PhD

Ting Shen PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ting.Shen@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Ting joined the FTD Center as a postdoctoral research fellow in January, 2022. She received her Ph.D. in Neurology with a minor in Biomedical Engineering from the Zhejiang University, China. Ting’s current research interests lie in identifying subtypes with distinct disease progression patterns of ALS-FTD spectrum, for a better understanding of the heterogeneity of these neurodegenerative diseases. She additionally works on using integrative imaging transcriptomics approaches to identify gene expression patterns correlated with cortical thickness changes in bvFTD patients.
Daniel Ohm PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email Daniel Ohm PhD

Read More about Daniel Ohm PhD

Daniel Ohm PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Daniel.Ohm@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Dan is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Dave Irwin’s Digital Neuropathology lab associated with the FTDC. Dan completed his PhD in Neuroscience at Northwestern University where he received training from Drs. Emily Rogalski, Changiz Geula, and M.-Marsel Mesulam. With a passion for neuroanatomy and how it changes in disease, his current work is centered on investigating the vulnerability of select regions and cell types to tau or TDP-43 proteinopathies. One goal of this line of research is to identify the cells and circuits contributing to cognitive impairments associated with frontotemporal dementia syndromes. When not in lab, Dan loves hiking new mountains, teaching his dog new tricks, and improving his photography and drawing skills.

Publications

Ohm DT, Cousins KAQ, Peterson C, Xie E, Lobrovich R, Gibbons GS, McMillan CT, Wolk DA, Deerlin VV, Elman L, Spindler M, Deik A, Siderowf A, Trojanowski JQ, Lee EB, Grossman M, Irwin DJ (2021) Signature laminar distributions of pathology in frontotemporal lobar degeneration. (in revision at Acta Neuropathol)

Ohm DT, Peterson C, Lobrovich R, Cousins KAQ, Gibbons GS, McMillan CT, Wolk DA, Deerlin VV, Elman L, Spindler M, Deik A, Siderowf A, Trojanowski JQ, Lee EB, Grossman M, Irwin DJ (2020) Degeneration of the locus coeruleus is a common feature of tauopathies and distinct from TDP-43 proteinopathies in the frontotemporal lobar degeneration spectrum. Acta Neuropathol 140:675–693.

Ohm DT, Kim G, Gefen T, Rademaker A, Weintraub S, Bigio EH, Mesulam M ‐M., Rogalski E, Geula C (2019) Prominent microglial activation in cortical white matter is selectively associated with cortical atrophy in primary progressive aphasia. Neuropath Appl Neuro 45:216–229.

Ohm DT, Fought AJ, Rademaker A, Kim G, Sridhar J, Coventry C, Gefen T, Weintraub S, Bigio E, Mesulam MM, Rogalski E, Geula C (2020) Neuropathologic basis of in vivo cortical atrophy in the aphasic variant of Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Pathol 30:332–344.

Ohm DT, Fought AJ, Martersteck A, Coventry C, Sridhar J, Gefen T, Weintraub S, Bigio E, Mesulam M ‐Marsel, Rogalski E, Geula C (2021) Accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles and activated microglia is associated with lower neuron densities in the aphasic variant of Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Pathol 31:189–204.

Ohm DT, Bloss EB, Janssen WG, Dietz KC, Wadsworth S, Lou W, Gee NA, Lasley BL, Rapp PR, Morrison JH (2012) Clinically Relevant Hormone Treatments Fail to Induce Spinogenesis in Prefrontal Cortex of Aged Female Rhesus Monkeys. J Neurosci 32:11700–11705.
Galit Agmon PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

Read More about Galit Agmon PhD

Galit Agmon PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

Biography

Galit is a computational neuro-linguist. She earned her PhD in computational neuroscience from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2018. With additional training in theoretical linguistics (from The Hebrew University and McGill University), Galit has been using interdisciplinary methods for studying on language processing in the brain. Her past research included theoretical analyses as well as behavioral studies and neuroimaging experiments (fMRI, EEG). After her doctoral studies, Galit has been working at Bar-Ilan University (Israel) on the neurobiology of spontaneous speech. Galit joined FTDC in July 2021, as part of the speech team. Her current study focuses on ways of quantifying syntactic complexity in spontaneous speech, to automatically screen for early onset of language-related pathologies and to better understand the effect of FTD phenotypes on linguistic functions.

Publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=UOm6SQQAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate
Jesse Cohen, MD
Postdoctoral Fellow
215-829-6500

Read More about Jesse Cohen, MD

Jesse Cohen, MD
Postdoctoral Fellow
215-829-6500

Biography

Jesse is a Penn Movement Disorders Fellow interested in the influence of Alzheimer’s copathology in Lewy Body diseases. He uses MRI to identify in vivo anatomic correlates of copathology, with the goal of understanding the mechanisms by which copathology affects cognition and other non-motor symptoms. He is particularly interested in how degeneration of sleep/arousal brain circuitry may contribute to neuropsychiatric phenotypes.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/jesse.cohen.2/bibliography/public/

CLINICAL STAFF

Katherine Lietz
Social Worker

Katherine Lietz
Social Worker
Gillian Bradley, MA, BSN, RN (she/her)
Clinical Research Nurse
Email Gillian Bradley, MA, BSN, RN (she/her)

Read More about Gillian Bradley, MA, BSN, RN (she/her)

Gillian Bradley, MA, BSN, RN (she/her)
Clinical Research Nurse
gillian.bradley@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Gillian is a BSN graduate of Thomas Jefferson University's College of Nursing. She received her BA in neuroscience from Drew University and her MA in Psychology and Brain Sciences from Indiana University Bloomington, where she studied molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection in neurodegenerative disease models. Prior to attending nursing school, she helped coordinate interventional drug trials as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Penn FTD Center, where she discovered a passion for working with individuals with FTD and related disorders. As the nurse for the center, she hopes to be a resource for both patients and caregivers as they navigate new diagnoses, optimize symptom management and pursue research opportunities.
Laynie Dratch ScM, CGC
Genetic Counselor

Read More about Laynie Dratch ScM, CGC

Laynie Dratch ScM, CGC
Genetic Counselor

Biography

Laynie Dratch is a genetic counselor who joined the Penn FTD Center team in February 2020. She helps families with FTD and related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), navigate genetic testing options through research and clinical encounters. She helps individuals and families adapt to and cope with their diagnoses, and is a resource for all genetics questions. Laynie graduated summa cum laude from Colgate University with a BA in neuroscience and a minor in psychology. She completed her master’s in genetic counseling at the Johns Hopkins University / National Institutes of Health training program. Her graduate thesis work included a qualitative study of the lived experiences of individuals with or at risk of developing FTD. Laynie sees patients both at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Hospital, and is involved in many of our FTD Center research studies.

To schedule a clinical genetic counseling visit, call 215-662-3606 and request “neurogenetics.”

Publications

Dratch, L., Paul, R. A., Baldwin, A., Brzozowski, M., Gonzalez‐Alegre, P., Tropea, T. F., ... & Bardakjian, T. (2021). Transitioning to telegenetics in the COVID‐19 era: Patient satisfaction with remote genetic counseling in adult neurology. Journal of genetic counseling, 30(4), 974-983.

Phillips, J. S., Da Re, F., Dratch, L., Xie, S. X., Irwin, D. J., McMillan, C. T., ... & Grossman, M. (2018). Neocortical origin and progression of gray matter atrophy in nonamnestic Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiology of aging, 63, 75-87.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Christopher Olm
Bioengineering Doctoral Student

Read More about Christopher Olm

Christopher Olm
Bioengineering Doctoral Student

Biography

Chris is a Bioengineering PhD Candidate in the Penn FTD Center and the Penn Image Computing and Science Lab (PICSL). His research interests are identifying in vivo markers of disease progression and pathology using structural and functional MRI, in particular arterial spin labeling (ASL). Outside of the lab, he enjoys running, fixing guitars, and plays electric bass in a band.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1fIo8NRemlLQQ/bibliography/public/
Lasya Sreepada
Bioengineering PhD Student
Email Lasya Sreepada

Read More about Lasya Sreepada

Lasya Sreepada
Bioengineering PhD Student
lasya.sreepada@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Lasya is a Bioengineering PhD student on the NIH T32 grant for Neuroimaging in ADRD and is advised by Drs. Corey McMillan and Dave Wolk. Her research focuses on deciphering heterogeneity and atypicality in Alzheimer's Disease by applying bioinformatics and AI approaches to neuroimaging and epigenetic data. Lasya received her Bachelors in Neuroscience from Yale University.

Publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5n-mn2MAAAAJ
Isabel Yannatos (she/her)
Neuroscience Doctoral Student
Email Isabel Yannatos (she/her)

Read More about Isabel Yannatos (she/her)

Isabel Yannatos (she/her)
Neuroscience Doctoral Student
yannatos@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Isabel is a neuroscience PhD candidate in Corey McMillan’s lab. Her research focuses on the social, structural, and environmental determinants of cognitive decline and of racial disparities in aging. She is investigating the role of epigenetic markers of aging in how these determinants “get under the skin” to affect cognitive health.

RESEARCH STAFF

Sharon Ash (PhD)
Research Specialist C

Read More about Sharon Ash (PhD)

Sharon Ash (PhD)
Research Specialist C

BIOGRAPHY

Sharon (Sherry) Ash holds a BA in Biology from Bryn Mawr College and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining the FTD Center, she was the Associate Director of the Linguistics Laboratory at Penn, headed by William Labov, conducting research on variation and change in language. As a member of the speech team within the FTDC, she studies the characteristics of phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, fluency, and discourse in the spontaneous speech of individuals with neurodegenerative conditions. This research aims to identify speech biomarkers to aid in the early detection of impairment, assessment of prognosis, and the differentiation of distinct syndromes. After hours, Sherry plays violin in one symphony orchestra and as many theatrical groups as possible and also provides entertainment for three lovely cats.

Publications

Ash S, Nevler N, Phillips J, Irwin DJ, McMillan CT, Rascovsky K, Grossman M. A longitudinal study of speech production in primary progressive aphasia and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. Brain Lang. 2019 Jul; 171:46-57.

Ash S, Jester C, York C, Kofman OL, Langey R, Halpin A, Firn K, Dominguez Perez S, Chahine L, Spindler M, Dahodwala N, Irwin DJ, McMillan C, Weintraub D, Grossman M. Longitudinal decline in speech production in Parkinson's disease spectrum disorders. Brain Lang. 2017 Aug; 171:42-51.

Ash S, Ternes K, Bisbing T, Min NE, Moran E, York C, McMillan CT, Irwin DJ, Grossman M. Dissociation of quantifiers and object nouns in speech in focal neurodegenerative disease. Neuropsychologia. 2016 Aug; 89:141-152.

Ash S, Menaged A, Olm C, McMillan CT, Boller A, Irwin DJ, McCluskey L, Elman L, Grossman M. Narrative discourse deficits in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurology. 2014 Aug 5;83(6):520-8.

Ash S, Grossman M. Why study connected speech production? In Cognitive Neuroscience of Natural Language Use. Ed. by Willems RM. Chapter 3, pp. 29-58. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. February, 2015.

Ash S, Olm C, McMillan CT, Boller A, Irwin DJ, McCluskey L, Elman L, Grossman M. Deficits in sentence expression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener. 2015 Mar;16(1-2):31-9.

Ash S, Xie SX, Gross RG, Dreyfuss M, Boller A, Camp E, Morgan B, O’Shea J, Grossman M. The organization and anatomy of narrative comprehension and expression in Lewy body spectrum disorders. Neuropsychology 2012;26(3):368-384.

Ash S, McMillan C, Gross RG, Cook P, Gunawardena D, Morgan B, Boller A, Siderowf A, Grossman M. Impairments of speech fluency in Lewy body spectrum disorder. Brain & Language 2011;120:290-302.

Ash S, McMillan C, Gross RG, Cook P, Morgan B, Boller A, Dreyfuss M, Siderowf A, Grossman M. The organization of narrative discourse in Lewy body spectrum disorder. Brain & Language 2011;119:30–41.

Ash, S, McMillan C, Gunawardena D, Avants B, Morgan B, Khan A, Moore P, Gee J, Grossman M. Speech errors in progressive non-fluent aphasia. Brain & Language 2010; 113:13–20.

Ash S, Moore P, Antani S, McCawley G, Work M, Grossman M. Trying to tell a tale: Discourse impairments in progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. Neurology 2006; 66(9):1405-13.

Labov W, Ash S, Boberg C. The Atlas of North American English: Phonetics, Phonology and Sound Change. 2006. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Quinn Hlava
Clinical Research Coordinator

Read More about Quinn Hlava

Quinn Hlava
Clinical Research Coordinator

Biography

Quinn received her B.S in Biology and B.S. in Psychology from the University of Georgia in May 2021. Her previous research includes stroke rehabilitation at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and eye-tracking in Parkinson's at UGA's Sensorimotor Neuroscience Laboratory. At the FTD Center, Quinn is a Neuroimaging Research Coordinator working on two multi-site imaging studies. She hopes to gain more experience in data analysis and patient care to work towards being a physician-researcher in the future. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cuddling with her cats, and painting her nails.
Danielle Almstead (she/her)
Clinical Research Coordinator
Email Danielle Almstead (she/her)
215-662-6122

Read More about Danielle Almstead (she/her)

Danielle Almstead (she/her)
Clinical Research Coordinator
Danielle.almstead@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
215-662-6122

Biography

Danielle Almstead is a Clinical Research Coordinator who works on industry-sponsored therapeutic trials at the Penn FTD Center. Danielle is particularly excited to be able to play a role in offering new and innovative gene therapy trials to those with FTD. Danielle graduated from Princeton University in 2020 with her Bachelors degree in Biology, and joined the Penn FTD Center in May of 2021. Prior to her time at Penn, Danielle worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator on clinical trials for Major Depressive Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Treatment-Resistant Depression, and Alzheimer’s Disease at the Princeton Medical Institute in Princeton, New Jersey.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/danielle.almstead.1/bibliography/public/
Dahlia Kamel
Clinical Research Coordinator
Email Dahlia Kamel
215-662-6134

Read More about Dahlia Kamel

Dahlia Kamel
Clinical Research Coordinator
Dahlia.Kamel@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
215-662-6134

Biography

Dahlia Kamel is a Clinical Trials Coordinator at the Penn FTD Center, who joined the FTD Center in December 2020. Dahlia holds a B.S. in Biology, a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience, a Graduate Certificate in Biostatics and SAS Programming, and an M.S. in Health/Medical Psychology with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience. She is currently enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Aging Studies PhD Program at the Tulane University School of Medicine, but is taking a break to work in clinical research. Her published M.S. thesis focused on the associations of cognitive and functional screening measures in patients with Alzheimer’s and Mild Cognitive Impairment, and ways to improve diagnostic use and accuracy. Dahlia is primarily interested in neurodegeneration, neurogenetics, and cognition, and extremely excited about working on cutting-edge genetic therapy trials for patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Dahlia’s previous experience includes clinical research coordinating for Penn Memory Center and Department of Sleep Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate research assistant and lab manager for the Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and undergraduate research at the University of North Carolina in the Aging and Cognitive Training Lab.
Samantha Ballinger
Clinical Research Coordinator
Email Samantha Ballinger

Read More about Samantha Ballinger

Samantha Ballinger
Clinical Research Coordinator
Samantha.Ballinger@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Sam graduated in 2018 with a B.S. in Clinical Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology from Virginia Tech. At the FTD center, she is an Imaging Research Coordinator working specifically on collecting 7T MRI data. Sam hopes to gain more experience in imaging analysis at the FTD center to prepare for graduate school. In her free time, she enjoys running, eating, being outdoors, and spending time with her Golden Retriever puppy, Dexter!
Carmen Gonzalez-Recober
Clinical Research Coordinator
Email Carmen Gonzalez-Recober

Read More about Carmen Gonzalez-Recober

Carmen Gonzalez-Recober
Clinical Research Coordinator
Carmen.Gonzalez-Recober@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Carmen Gonzalez-Recober recently graduated from The Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Honors College with a B.A. in Psychology and an enhanced minor in Spanish. Her previous research experience included working at the Bilingualism and Language Development Lab at The Pennsylvania State University, where she focused on code-switching effects on comprehension of speech. She is currently the Speech Team Clinical Research Coordinator at the FTD Center and is involved in category versus letter fluency analysis and will be helping to run an upcoming conversation study. She hopes to gain more experience in research and patient care in preparation for graduate school, where she will seek to attain a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
Yvonne-Margaret Balgenorth

Yvonne-Margaret Balgenorth
Julia Kwiecinski
Clinical Research Coordinator
Email Julia Kwiecinski

Read More about Julia Kwiecinski

Julia Kwiecinski
Clinical Research Coordinator
Julia.Kwiecinski@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Julia Kwiecinski is a Clinical Research Coordinator who joined our center in August 2021, after receiving her BA in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience from Rutgers University. Her primary focus is working with families who are affected by genetic forms of FTD via the ALLFTD study. Julia conducts cognitive assessment sessions, collects family history information, and works alongside our genetics team. Julia has prior experience working with and collecting cognitive assessments on individuals affected by ADHD, Major Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Schizophrenia, and substance abuse disorders. Julia hopes to gain more experience working with genetic forms of FTD and eventually become a genetic counselor working with individuals affected by FTD and ALS.
Natalia Parjane
Clinical Research Coordinator
Email Natalia Parjane

Read More about Natalia Parjane

Natalia Parjane
Clinical Research Coordinator
Natalia.Parjane@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Natalia Parjane completed her BA in Cognitive Science with a concentration in Neuroscience and minor in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020. She is a clinical research coordinator at the Penn FTD Center. She performs neuropsychological assessments on patients, and scores and manages database cleaning for research. She has also done research at the center, investigating underlying speech pathology in progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome, corticobasal syndrome, and patients with nonfluent primary progressive aphasia. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and focus her research on anxiety and mood disorders.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/16YbjHezHp3Egd/bibliography/public/
Lizzy Fulop B.S. (she/her)
Clinical Research Coordinator
Email Lizzy Fulop B.S. (she/her)
215-573-6279

Read More about Lizzy Fulop B.S. (she/her)

Lizzy Fulop B.S. (she/her)
Clinical Research Coordinator
Elizabeth.Fulop@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu
215-573-6279

Biography

Lizzy graduated in 2021 with a B.S. in Neuroscience from Temple University. Her previous research experience includes working with adolescents and adults in the Social Developmental Neuroscience Lab at Temple University, as well as working on an automated speech study at the Center for Autism Research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. At the FTD center, Lizzy is an Imaging Research Coordinator working on PET and MRI studies. She hopes to gain more experience in social neuroscience and data analysis at the FTD center to prepare for Graduate school. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hanging out with her cat, and going on walks in nature.
MaKayla Lowe, MHS (she/her)
Research Specialist
Email MaKayla Lowe, MHS (she/her)

MaKayla Lowe, MHS (she/her)
Research Specialist
makayla.lowe@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Alejandra Bahena
Research Specialist
Email Alejandra Bahena

Alejandra Bahena
Research Specialist
Alejandra.Bahena@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Lynn Eickholt B.S
Clinical Research Coordinator
Email Lynn Eickholt B.S
215-898-4266

Read More about Lynn Eickholt B.S

Lynn Eickholt B.S
Clinical Research Coordinator
lynn.eickholt@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
215-898-4266

Biography

Lynn is an imaging coordinator who earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan in April 2021, where she spent four years analyzing neuroimaging data to study the brain basis of literacy development in children. In her free time, she likes to play the saxophone, go hiking, and read. Her favorite part about being at the center is the exposure to clinical neuroimaging data because she is working toward being a radiologist.

ADMINISTRATION

Brian Nelson (B.S)
Data Management Systems

Brian Nelson (B.S)
Data Management Systems
Daneel Douglas
Technical Support

Daneel Douglas
Technical Support
Lyles Clark PhD (they/them)
Data Project Manager
Email Lyles Clark PhD (they/them)

Read More about Lyles Clark PhD (they/them)

Lyles Clark PhD (they/them)
Data Project Manager
klyles@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Lyles joined the FTDC after earning a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania where they studied brain injury-induced changes in hippocampal neurogenesis and inflammation. Now, Lyles manages data access requests, maintains data documentation, and coordinates the Neuroimaging in ADRD training grant. When they're not thinking about brains, Lyles enjoys reading, woodworking, and playing the cello.
Salima Shah, MS (she/her)
Clinical Research Project Manager

Read More about Salima Shah, MS (she/her)

Salima Shah, MS (she/her)
Clinical Research Project Manager

Biography

Salima Shah is a Clinical Research Project Manager at the FTD Center overseeing several observational studies. Previously, she was a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) within the urology division. Ms. Shah coordinated a project focusing on the progression of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) through observing anatomical biomarkers. Partnered with Penn, she worked on the PUSH study which involved a behavioral intervention to decrease kidney stone reoccurrence. And she was involved in the STENTS observational study with the goal of bettering future procedures and patient experiences in ureteroscopy surgeries.

Additionally, Ms. Shah was on a study that observed comparative communication strategies to improve care for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Prior, Ms. Shah worked directly with patients suffering from Anorexia Nervosa assessing therapeutic strategies. Ms. Shah received her bachelor’s degree in Public Health with a minor in psychology from La Salle University. She completed her Master’s in Clinical Psychology and Counseling at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). Separately, she is a mental health counselor specializing in C-PTSD and eating disorders at Revive Therapy Services located in West Philadelphia. She plans to further her research and clinical experience, pursue a PhD in Applied Psychology, and conduct her own research on complex trauma as a practicing clinician.

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1vKSAlj_7okkef/bibliography/public/
Chace Brokaw
Regulatory Coordinator

Read More about Chace Brokaw

Chace Brokaw
Regulatory Coordinator

Biography

Chace joined the FTD Center in November 2022 as the Regulatory Coordinator. She provides current staff with regulatory insights, assists in audit monitoring and works closely with the IRB. She also assists with making sure the center is adhering to current FDA and GCP guidelines. Chace received her BS in Biostatistics from The Pennsylvania State University in 2019 with minors in Health Policy Administration and Biology. She is currently enrolled in a MS of Data Science at Eastern University. Chace hopes to use her statistics and data science knowledge to further her career at the FTD center in a data analyst capacity. In her free time Chace enjoys hanging out with her friends, snowboarding and cuddling her mini bernedoodle Calliope.
Olivia Vozzella (she/her)
Administrative Coordinator
Email Olivia Vozzella (she/her)

Read More about Olivia Vozzella (she/her)

Olivia Vozzella (she/her)
Administrative Coordinator
olivia.vozzella@pennmendicine.upenn.edu

Biography

Olivia joined the FTD Center in June, 2022 as the Administrative Coordinator. She provides administrative support to the center and co-leads the center's communications and outreach efforts. Olivia also assists with planning and facilitating the FTD Center's events, such as the annual Caregiver Conference. She is the first point of contact for general information about the center. In her free time, Olivia enjoys creating digital comics, game nights with her family, and trying to get her lazy cat to exercise.

Our Team

- MURRAY GROSSMAN, DIRECTOR, PENN FTD CENTER

DIRECTORS

Corey McMillan PhD (he/him)

David Irwin MD

Lauren Massimo PhD, CRNP

Murray Grossman MD, EdD

FACULTY

Sara Manning MD, MS

Jeffrey Phillips PhD

Katheryn Cousins (she/her)

Katya Rascovsky PhD

Naomi Nevler

Emma Rhodes PhD

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

Barbara Spencer PhD (she/her)

Sanjana Shellikeri

Ting Shen PhD

Daniel Ohm PhD

Galit Agmon PhD

Jesse Cohen, MD

CLINICAL STAFF

Katherine Lietz

Gillian Bradley, MA, BSN, RN (she/her)

Laynie Dratch ScM, CGC

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Christopher Olm

Lasya Sreepada

Isabel Yannatos (she/her)

RESEARCH STAFF

Sharon Ash (PhD)

Quinn Hlava

Danielle Almstead (she/her)

Dahlia Kamel

Samantha Ballinger

Carmen Gonzalez-Recober

Yvonne-Margaret Balgenorth

Julia Kwiecinski

Natalia Parjane

Lizzy Fulop B.S. (she/her)

MaKayla Lowe, MHS (she/her)

Alejandra Bahena

Lynn Eickholt B.S

ADMINISTRATION

Brian Nelson (B.S)

Daneel Douglas

Lyles Clark PhD (they/them)

Salima Shah, MS (she/her)

Chace Brokaw

Olivia Vozzella (she/her)