Douglas S. Goodin, M.D.

Professor, Neurology
Medical Director, MS Center

Dr. Goodin is a Clinical Professor at the University of California-San Francisco and Medical Director of the UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Center. Dr. Goodin received his M.D. degree at UC Irvine, and completed his residency at UCSF.

Dr. Goodin is internationally recognized for many academic publications on the advancement in the understanding of Multiple Sclerosis.

Stephen L. Hauser, M.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology

Steve Hauser is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (S.B., 1971, Phi Beta Kappa) and the Harvard Medical School (M.D. 1975, Magna Cum Laude). He trained in internal medicine at the New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center and in neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Following postdoctoral fellowships in immunology at Harvard Medical School (1980-1983) and the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France (1983-1986), he joined the faculty at Harvard and established an independent laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Since 1992, he has served as chairman and Robert A. Fishman Distinguished Professor of the Department of Neurology at UCSF.

A neuroimmunologist, Dr. Hauser's research has focused on multiple sclerosis (MS). He was responsible for one of the first clinical trials of immunosuppression on the course of progressive MS. His early work identified the CD4 T-cell as important in MS and also in experimental models of demyelination. With colleagues, he developed the first animal model that faithfully reproduces the neuropathology of MS and identified an autoantibody against a quantitatively minor myelin protein, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, that mediated myelin damage.

During the past decade he has also led a multicenter effort to identify the major genes that confer susceptibility to MS. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association of Physicians, a member of the Institute of Medicine and serves as an editor of the medical textbook Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine.

Daniel Pelletier, M.D.

Associate Professor, Neurology

Debbie and Andy Rachleff Distinguished Professor of Neurology

Dr. Pelletier is a clinician-scientist. He was born and educated in the Province of Quebec, Canada. After first receiving a bachelor degree in Computer Sciences and studying a year in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Connecticut, Dr. Pelletier received his M.D. degree and completed his Neurology training in Quebec City at Laval University.

He subsequently received research training in multiple sclerosis and advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques at the Montreal Neurological Institute, Canada. He joined the University of California, San Francisco MS Center in 1999 as a clinical instructor and a recipient of a National Multiple Sclerosis Physician Award Grant for his work in molecular imaging. He received the Harry Weaver Neuroscientist Scholar Award in 2005 from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Dr. Pelletier has special interest understanding the natural history of various forms of MS using non-invasive exploratory neuroimaging techniques and integrating the advances into the daily care of patients. He therefore uses state-of-the-art neuroimaging methods to reveal the intricate mechanisms of MS, with the goal of using this understanding to track the efficacy of medications and improve outcomes. He has been the principal investigator on several important clinical trials at UCSF.

"Our patients deserve new tools to better understand the evolution of their disease and to provide them with an individualized clinical approach. I hope that my dedication to MS will contribute to helping as many patients suffering from this disease as possible."

Scott Zamvil, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Neurology
 
Dr. Scott Zamvil is a neuroscientist and clinical neurologist dedicated to developing novel treatments for multiple sclerosis. He earned his MD and Ph.D. in medical microbiology from Stanford University, and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Stanford University and a residency in Neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. He then joined the neurology faculty at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. In 1994, Dr. Zamvil was named a Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In 1998 he became a member of the neurology faculty at UCSF.

He is currently funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the National Institutes of Health, the Wadsworth Foundation and the Maisin Foundation. His current line of research, including recent publications in Nature, the Journal of Clinical Investigation and the Journal of Immunology, explores the role of different antigen presenting cells in activation of T cells and the possible therapeutic uses of statins in MS.

Bruce Anthony Campbell Cree, M.D., Ph.D, MCR

Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MCR is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of California San Francisco Multiple Sclerosis Center. He is board certified in neurology.

After graduating from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, Dr. Cree earned his medical degree and his PhD from the University of California San Francisco. He completed his residency in Neurology at New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia University), New York City, where he was chief resident.  He returned to the University of California San Francisco where he undertook postdoctoral subspecialty training in multiple sclerosis as a Sylvia Lawry fellow. Additionally, he received a Master's degree in Clinical Research at the University of California, San Francisco, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Dr. Cree has served as an investigator on numerous clinical studies in multiple sclerosis. Much of his research has focused on multiple sclerosis epidemiology and his work has been published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, Annals of Neurology, Archives of Neurology, Genes and Immunity, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Nature Genetics, The Neurologist, Neurology, and Seminars in Neurology.

Emmanuelle Waubant, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Neurology

Dr Emmanuelle Waubant was born in France. She trained as a Neurologist and got Board Certified in Neurology in Toulouse, France. She continued her training as a neuroimmunology post-doctoral fellow (1993-1994) in Dr Hauser's UCSF laboratory, focusing on migration of lymphocytes through equivalents of blood-brain-barrier.

After completing her 2 year chief residency in Toulouse, Dr. Waubant returned to UCSF for a 3 year fellowship in Clinical Neuroimmunology at the UCSF MS center. During that time, she trained in clinical research methodology, specifically in MS. Dr Waubant returned to France to head a clinical research center in Paris from June 1999 to August 2001 in the Pitie-Salpetriere University Hospital.

Dr. Waubant is currently an Associate Professor in Neurology at the UCSF MS Center. She is also the Nancy Davis Medical Director, and heads a collaboration between 6 American MS Centers recognized as Centers of Excellence.

Finally, Dr. Waubant is currently directing the clinical research activities at the MS center.

Ari Green, M.D., M.C.R.

Assistant Professor
Assistant Director, MS Center
Debbie and Andy Rachleff Professor

Dr. Ari Green is the Debbie and Andy Rachleff Chair in Neurology and the Assistant Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at UCSF.  He is also Director of the Neurodiagnostics Center in the Department of Neurology in the Ambulatory Care Center.   Dr. Green is a graduate of the Duke University School of Medicine.   He started work in multiple sclerosis under the supervision of Drs. Rick Rudick and Donald Goodkin at the Cleveland Clinic Mellen Center in 1990.   He then served as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Predoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Jorge Oksenberg from 1998-2000.  He completed an internship in Internal Medicine and residency in Neurology at UCSF before going on to serve as co-Chief Resident in Neurology from 2004-2005.  He received additional training in clinical neuro-immunology and neuro-ophthalmology under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Hauser and Dr. William Fletcher Hoyt.  He was awarded the first National Multiple Sclerosis Society and American Academy of Neurology Foundation Early Career Fellowship in 2005.  More recently he was awarded a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Early Career Physician Scientist award in 2008. 

His primary research interests include understanding the visual system in multiple sclerosis and developing improved methods for tracking the disease and predicting disease course.  He is interested in using these technologies to advance our scientific understanding of neurodegeneration in MS.  His laboratory provides visual assessments, retinal imaging and visual electrophysiology to patients seen at the UCSF MS center including participants in the MS EPIC study.    He also collaborates with the pediatric MS Center at UCSF with Drs. Emmanuelle Waubant and Dorothee Chabas.   The laboratory has evaluated nearly 1000 patients and through a collaboration with colleagues at Queens University in Northern Ireland Dr. Green has helped to advance our understanding of the pathology of the inner retina and anterior visual pathway in MS.

Dr. Green is an active member of the Clinical Translational Science Institute KL2 scholars program at UCSF and participates in education for trainees in Neurology, Ophthalmology, and the certificate/graduate program in Biostatistics and Epidemiology. 

His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Academy of Neurology Foundation, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Brigham and Women’s Multiple Sclerosis Center.

Darin T. Okuda, M.D.

Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology

Dr. Darin T. Okuda received his M.D. from the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine and completed his residency training in neurology at the Barrow Neurological Institute. He joined the neurology faculty after completing a fellowship in multiple sclerosis and neuro-immunology at UCSF.

In addition to striving for excellence in the care of all patients, his research focuses on investigating the natural history of brain lesions in the very early forms of multiple sclerosis through advanced and novel magnetic resonance imaging techniques. He is currently investigating the influence of MS genetic susceptibility on MR imaging outcome measures (brain volumetric changes, impact of lesion phenotypes, and influence of MS burden of disease) and clinical outcomes in all MS subtypes.

"Our current treatments for MS should be individualized based on genetic, clinical, and radiological data. Research studies here at UCSF aim to provide more information for this heterogeneous condition such that specifically designed therapies may be implemented to maximize clinical outcomes in patients."

Dr. Okuda is a Diplomate of The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. and member of the American Academy of Neurology Committee on Ethics.

Dr. H.-Christian von Büdingen, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Neurology
Debbie and Andy Rachleff Distinguished Professor

Dr. H.-Christian von Büdingen earned his medical degree from the Johann-Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. He received his clinical training in Munich, Germany (1996-1997) and Zurich, Switzerland (2003-2008) where he also became a board-certified Neurologist. From 1998-2003 he was a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Hauser's and Dr. Genain's neuroimmunology laboratory at UCSF.

Dr. von Büdingen became a lecturer in Neurology at the University of Zürich, Switzerland in 2008 and was staff physician and attending neurologist at a neurological rehabilitation hospital in Switzerland until 02/2009 he. He returned to UCSF in April 2009 to join the Department of Neurology's faculty as Assistant Professor.

Dr. von Büdingen is a clinician-scientist whose work focuses on B cell and antibody related immune mechanisms in MS. His doctoral thesis was awarded "summa cum laude" from the Johann-Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany in 1997.

He is the recipient of the 2005 Helmut-Bauer-Multiple Sclerosis Research Award (University of Göttingen, Germany) and has received post-doctoral research fellowship awards from the National Institutes of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the German MS Society, the Hertie-Foundation (Germany) and the Stiefel-Zangger-Foundation (University of Zürich, Switzerland).

Elizabeth Crabtree, M.D.

Assistant Clinical Professor, Neurology; Director of Patient Program Development

Dr. Crabtree spent her childhood near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received her BA from Reed College with high honors, majoring in Biology and Spanish. Prior to medical school, she was involved in immunology research in Palo Alto, CA and spent one year in Japan at the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Tokyo. Dr. Crabtree received her MD from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana and then headed to UCLA for her residency in Neurology. She was awarded the Golden Hammer award for teaching. During that time, she also cultivated an interest in multiple sclerosis and neurobehavior. She returned to Tulane for fellowship training in neurobehavior and then joined the faculty. She served as an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Associate Director of the Residency Program until Hurricane Katrina prompted relocation.

Dr. Crabtree and her family relocated to San Francisco. Dr. Crabtree served as the National MS Society Hampton Roads Clinical Fellow at the UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Center, and was subsequently asked to join the faculty at UCSF. Her role has been to improve access to clinical care and to develop patient programs for patient needs unmet in the outpatient clinic. She has interests in a multidisciplinary approach to symptom management, fatigue, and improving quality of life for her patients. She recently has joined the Board of Trustees for the Northern California Chapter of the National MS Society and looks forward to focusing on developing patient resources and programs.

Ellen M. Mowry, M.D.

Clinical Instructor, Neurology

Dr. Mowry became interested in multiple sclerosis prior to beginning college and first performed research in multiple sclerosis as an undergraduate biology major at Georgetown University in the laboratory of Dr. John Richert. After obtaining an M.D. at the University of Rochester, she completed a medicine internship and neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, where she evaluated visual dysfunction and quality of life in multiple sclerosis with Dr. Laura Balcer.

Dr. Mowry joined the UCSF MS Center in July, 2007. During her fellowship, she evaluated prognostic factors in multiple sclerosis, examined health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis, particularly as a marker of disease burden, and obtained a Master’s Degree in Clinical Research.

Dr. Mowry’s primary interest is to understand what factors impact the prognosis of individuals with multiple sclerosis. In conjunction with Dr. Emmanuelle Waubant, she recently conducted three related studies.

• In the first, non-white race, younger age, and a lower number of affected functional systems (e.g. strength; vision) in the first multiple sclerosis attack all predicted an increased risk of an early second attack (Journal of Neurology, 2009). These findings may help clinicians stratify which patients might most benefit from early initiation of disease-modifying therapy.
• In the second, they showed that younger and non-white patients were also at risk for more severe attacks. Further, patients who experienced early attacks of greater severity or worse recovery were more likely to have the same features of subsequent attacks (Neurology, 2009).
• The third study showed that patients with multiple sclerosis are likely to have clinical attacks occur in the same part of the nervous system (Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 2009).

Dr. Mowry was awarded the 2008 Henry Newman Award by the San Francisco Neurological Society for this work.

Mary Owen, N.P.

Research Nurse Practitioner

Alan Evangelista

Clinical Research Coordinator
(415) 476-1836 Phn
(415) 514-2470 Fax

Cougar Brenneman

Research Assistant

Cougar Brenneman brings five years of experience in technical writing to the technical aspects of his position and twenty years as a professional writer to the communication aspects of the job. He is currently the webmaster for this site. Contact him to address issues with this website.