Faculty
Daniele Canzio, PhD, has been named a finalist for the 2025 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists in Life Sciences. He is recognized for revealing how 3D genome folding shapes neuronal identity, offering new insights into brain wiring and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Sharon Chiang, MD, PhD, has been selected as the recipient of the ANA-Persyst Professional Development Award. This award is provided to an early career academic neurologist or neuroscientist who is an ANA member specializing in the field of epilepsy.
Jill Hollenbach, PhD, MPH, received the American Society for Histocompatibility Bernard Amos Distinguished Scientist Award.
Sam Pleasure, MD, PhD, will receive the J. Elliott Royer Award for Excellence in Academic Neurology at the Aird Professorship on November 5, 2025.
Aimee Kao, MD, PhD, was awarded the 2025 ANA Award for Excellence in Novel Scientific Contributions.
Megan Richie, MD, has been selected to lead the recitation of the Physicians’ Declaration for the incoming class at the School of Medicine’s White Coat Ceremony on August 10, 2025.
Laura Rosow, MD, has been awarded the 2025 Denah Joseph Award for Clinical Excellence in Primary Palliative Care by UCSF’s Palliative Care Team.
Aaron Berkowitz, MD, PhD has won the 2025 Robert B. Layzer Golden Toe Award for excellence in Neurology Resident teaching.
Brandon Holmes, MD, PhD has been named the 2025 recipient of the inaugural ANA Rising Star Award. This award honors an early career physician-scientist or researcher who has made significant contributions to the field of neurology.
Tanisha Hill-Jarrett, PhD has been named a 2025 John A. Watson Faculty Scholar by the UCSF School of Medicine. This marks the Department of Neurology’s sixth recipient since the program’s inception.
Nicole Rosendale, MD has been named the 2025 recipient of the ANA Audrey S. Penn Lectureship Award, which recognizes an ANA member for outstanding
research, program development, or educational scholarship that advances health equity.
Jeffrey Ralph, MD and Cameron Dietiker, MD have been named recipients of the 2025 Cheryl Jay Master Clinician Award with honors for Senior and Junior Clinical Faculty, respectively.
Bridget Ostrem, MD, PhD, has been awarded the 2024 Outstanding Paper Prize by the journal Development for her paper on the impact of maternal infection on fetal brain development.
Dena Dubal, MD, PhD recieved the Pignolo Award for Aging Research, which is given by the University of Pennsylvania for an outstanding contribution to the field of biogerontology.
Stephen Hauser, MD has received the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his transformational work in multiple sclerosis.
Courtney Lane-Donovan, MD, PhD has been named as a recipient of the Excellence in Teaching for Clinical Faculty Award, given by the the UCSF School of Medicine Class of 2025.
Emmanuelle Waubant, MD, PhD has been elected as the president of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS).
Gil Rabinovici, MD and Bill Seeley, MD have been named as the recipients of the 2025 Potamkin Prize for Research in Pick’s, Alzheimer’s, and Related Diseases. The awarad is given by the American Academy of Neurology and American Brain Foundation in recognition of these scientists’ research in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Ann Poncelet, MD and Nicole Rosendale, MD have received the Department of Neurology’s Faculty Mentoring Award for oustanding contributions to faculty mentoring. They were honored at the annual Faculty Mentoring Event last month.
Michael Wilson, MD, MAS has been elected to membership in the Association of American Physicians (AAP).
Heather Fullerton, MD, MAS has been named as the recipient of the 2025 Ralph L. Sacco Outstanding Stroke Research Mentor Award given by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
Mark Terrelonge, MD, MPH has won the 2025 AAN A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award given by the American Academy of Neurology.
Trainees
John Pluvinage, MD, PhD has been selected as a UCSF Physician Scientist Scholar Program (PSSP) Scholar. This prestigious program provides funding support to early career physician-scientists as they launch independent research careers centered on rigorous laboratory investigations of human disease.
Mercedes Robinson, MD, a former resident, received the Teaching Excellence Award for Cherished Housestaff (T.E.A.C.H.), recognizing residents or fellows who have been outstanding teachers, mentors, and role models to medical students during their clinical years at UCSF.
Aaron Colverson, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow, has been awarded the Renée Fleming NeuroArts Investigator Award, given to researchers in the emerging field of neuroarts.
Sherry Chen, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Neurology, won the Henry Newman Award, given by the San Francisco Neurological Society for her paper, “Pathology-specific patterns of cerebellar atrophy in neurodegenerative disorders.
John Pluvinage MD, PhD, Neurology resident, won the Alliance Award: S. Weir Mitchell, given by the AAN in recognition of his outstanding achievements in basic science research.
Martineau Louiné, MD, Clinical and Postdoctoral Fellow, has won the AAN's Clinical Research Training Scholarship to support his research on TB meningitis
Staff
Jane Czech, MS, MBA won the Holly Smith Award for Exceptional Service in recognition of her exceptional career service that has resulted in broad and long-lasting benefit to the School of Medicine.
The following staff in Neurology have won 2024-2025 STAR Achievement Awards, which recognize sustained, exceptional performance and/or significant contributions from an employee(s) over an extended period.
Carolina Gonzalez Lopez
Thai Hien Ho
Richel Leung
Karl Kanner
Mom Keo
Elizabeth Kong
Richel Leung
Christina Liu
Collin Molberg
Iris Solorzano
Locus Yuen