People

Claire Clelland, PhD, MD, MPhil

Primary Investigator

Neurologist

Dr. Clelland is a physician scientist. As a neurologist she treats patients with cognitive symptoms and dementia in the UCSF Memory & Aging Center. As a scientist she is devoted to developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and the patients she sees in clinic, and mentoring trainees and students. She is parent of two young children.

Dr. Clelland grew up in a small town in Oregon. She graduated from the University of Portland with a BA in biology and a BS in Philosophy. She completed her PhD through an international collaboration she established between Rusty Gage's lab at the Salk Institute and Roger Barker's lab at the Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair. She then went on to medical school at UCLA and residency at UCSF in neurology. Her graduate work was funded by a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Fellowship for high achieving low-income students and a Marshall's Scholarship from the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission.

About science she says: “Understanding the human brain is the next great scientific frontier. Our lab thrives in the Bay Area surrounded by our collaborators and fellow leaders in CRISPR technologies and dementia research, the rich biotech and venture culture, and from the dedication of the amazing trainees that strive to further our shared vision of curing diseases of the brain."

Sally Salomonsson, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar

Sally is originally from Sweden, though has lived in the UK (Scotland and England) for many years. She carried out her PhD work in the Isaacs lab at UCL, with a scholarship from the UK Medical Research Council, investigating C9orf72-associated ALS/FTD mainly in patient-derived iPSC-motor neurons. After completing her PhD in June 2022, Sally started a postdoctoral position in the Clelland lab and has chosen to work on therapies for FTD associated with genetic mutations, such as GRN.

The closely connected and collaborative scientific and clinical communities at UCSF attracted Sally, since she aspires to conduct neuroscience research with high clinical impact, and to work more closely with families affected by neurodegenerative diseases. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, hiking and exploring, home microbiology (e.g. making sourdough bread and kombucha) and creating and experiencing art preferably together with others.

Sally is also a talented artist. Check out her neuron art! https://innercinema.co.uk/

Gregory Mohl, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar

Greg was born in Georgia but has had the opportunity to live in many parts of the United States. Greg received his bachelor's in Microbiology from Brigham Young University where he developed a new class of influenza inhibitors. He completed his PhD at UCSF in Martin Kampmann's lab. In the Kampmann lab, he studied how the V337M tau mutation perturbs differentiating  iPSC-derived neurons. Greg is thrilled to work with the Clelland lab to develop new methods for screening nanoparticle delivery of gene editing therapies.  

 Outside of the lab, Greg enjoys spending time with his amazing wife and four young daughters, playing tennis (and pickleball), and hiking.

San-Hae Im, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar

San-Hae was born in Seoul, South Korea. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in the Division of Life Sciences (interdisciplinary with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)) at Korea University (KU). During his undergraduate research, he gained experience with aptamer-based diagnostics in Professor Gu’s lab. After graduation, he developed a passion for the field of nanotechnology. San-Hae completed his PhD in Professor Chung’s lab at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), where he focused on nanoparticle-based gene therapeutics. In particular, he studied CRISPR/Cas9 and mRNA delivery through conjugates and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Currently, as a postdoctoral scholar in the Clelland lab at UCSF, San-Hae is expanding his expertise by developing delivery systems for CRISPR-based therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases. He enjoys designing experiments and is always eager to explore new research ideas, which motivates him to push the boundaries of his research in this cutting-edge field.

Outside of work, San-Hae enjoys playing tennis and gaming with friends. He also loves traveling to nearby countries and discovering great restaurants to share with others.

Check out his recent scientific work here:
 https://nature091002.github.io

Can Wang, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar

Can (Chelsea), originally from China, spent over six years in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. During her studies, she explored the fundamental science of auditory sensation in C. elegans as a visiting student and honed her expertise in CRISPR techniques in these model organisms. Driven by a passion for gene therapy and a commitment to translating basic science into clinical treatments, she is thrilled to join the Clelland lab, where her work will focus on validating gene-targeted therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. A phrase that has recently resonated with her is, "The world is your oyster."

Outside the lab, Chelsea enjoys traveling, hiking, and relaxing at home as a self-proclaimed "couch potato." As a newcomer to California, she looks forward to exploring the state’s beautiful trails and natural landscapes.

Shanel Pickard, MS, MD, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Shanel Pickard is a physician-scientist whose training began with a PhD in neuro-inspired robotics. Following medical school and a residency in clinical pathology, she completed a fellowship in molecular pathology, where she developed a comprehensive neurogenetics testing program to improve clinical diagnostics. Shanel is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Claire Clelland, focusing on epigenetic mechanisms that affect CRISPR efficiency in neurons.

Cerianne Huang, BS

Research Specialist

Cerianne was born and raised in Cupertino, California. She earned her bachelor’s in biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in addition to a bachelor’s in bassoon performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. During her undergrad, she joined the Burberry lab studying the role of the immune system in ALS where she discovered her passion for biomedical research. Eager to continue her research career, Cerianne joined the Nicolls lab at Stanford University after graduating, researching the molecular mechanisms behind lymphedema and pulmonary hypertension. She was drawn to the Clelland lab for the opportunity to work on translational research, and she is very excited to contribute to developing CRISPR strategies to treat ALS in patients.

Outside of the lab, Cerianne enjoys playing the bassoon, volunteering at a local cat rescue, and eating brunch on the weekends. Her favorite brunch spot is Caffe Central in Burlingame.

Carter Brand, BS

Junior Specialist

Christian Tarr, BS

Research Specialist

Christian grew up most of his life in Burlington, Vermont, but after graduating high school, he and his family moved to Portland, Oregon. He received his B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology with a minor in Biotechnology from Santa Clara University in 2023. Here, he was able to discover a passion for science while studying the molecular mechanism of vulval morphogenesis in C. elegans at the SCU Miller Lab. After graduating, he spent three months working in Nakuru, Kenya as a clinical lab technician at a rural hospital. He returned with a drive to work in translational research and eventually pursue a career and graduate degree in neuroscience. Christian found the Clelland lab as a great opportunity to do impactful research while exploring CRISPR-based therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. He is currently working on CRISPR strategies to treat MAPT-associated FTD. 

Outside the lab Christian enjoys many outdoor activities like skiing, backpacking, and surfing. He also loves going to live music around the Bay Area and cooking for his friends.

Brynn Kroke, BS

Research Specialist

  Brynn grew up in the tiny town of Michigan, North Dakota. She received her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Brown University. As an undergraduate, she worked on the development of a novel neuroprotective therapeutic for the treatment of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. She also interned in the Clelland lab for a summer where she helped develop novel ddPCR assays to quantify MAPT RNA isoforms in FTD patient-derived neurons. She is excited to be returning to the Clelland lab and to contribute to the exciting research into neurodegenerative diseases.

Outside of the lab, Brynn enjoys reading, crocheting, and playing board games with her friends. She is also excited to explore the Bay Area. She hopes to find her new favorite restaurant and explore all the museums in San Francisco while she is here.

Felix Graf, BS

Research Specialist

Felix grew up in Vohwinkel, a small town in the west of Germany. In 2022, he concluded his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the Free University Berlin, where he joined the Hiesinger Laboratory for developmental neurogenetics to study brain morphogenesis on the Drosophila model. What started out as a bachelor thesis continued into a three-year research project, illuminating the effects of gravitational perturbation on the developing brain.

Besides his deep curiosity for neuroscience, Felix's enthusiasm for photosynthesis led to numerous collaborations with the Nürnberg Laboratory for molecular biophysics. Inspired by the potential of phototrophy, Felix founded a government-funded research initiative (LivingTechnology.net) dedicated to the development of biologically inspired carbon capture technologies, based on the clonal water-fern genus Azolla. For his academic achievements, Felix was awarded two excellence tutorships by the Berlin University Alliance, and in the spring of 2023, he was elected a scholar and lifetime member of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.

All the way on the other side of the planet, Felix is excited to learn more about the merger of bioengineering and medical nanotechnology; hoping to challenge the current limits of neurological therapy through the development of novel interdisciplinary solutions.

Aside from the sciences, Felix has a deep passion for music, with a particular weakness for Jimi Hendrix. On the weekends, he is very easily persuaded to join a challenging hike, a calm sunset surf, or a good game of chess.

Emily Mi, B.S.

Junior Specialist

Emily is a Shanghai native raised in Canada. She moved to California for her undergraduate studies and received a B.S. in Biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2026. As an undergraduate, she studied addiction using rodent models, completing her honours thesis on the role of dopamine receptors in cue-induced sucrose-seeking. She also studied cocaine pharmacokinetics using electrochemical aptamer-based (EAB) biosensors to gain a better understanding of addiction models and the potential clinical applications of EAB sensors. Emily is especially excited to contribute to translational research in the Clelland lab and support the development of therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. 

Outside the lab, she can be found exploring cafes and parks with her camera. She also enjoys playing video games and attempting to recreate cafe drinks at home for her friends!

Soliana Yohannes, B.S.

Junior Specialist

Soliana was born and raised in Eritrea. She moved to the U.S. and attended community college before completing her studies in Molecular and Cell Biology and Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley. During her undergraduate studies, she spent two years in the Feldman Lab, where she completed her honors thesis investigating homeostatic plasticity in parvalbumin interneurons in mouse models of autism. Prior to that, she was a summer research intern in the Mulkey Lab at the University of Connecticut, where she studied the neural mechanisms underlying Dravet syndrome. She is very excited to join the Clelland Lab.
Outside of research, she is passionate about tutoring and mentoring first-generation and low-income students. In her free time, she enjoys watching dance videos.

Omri Kariv, B.S.

Junior Specialist