Events
QB3 Webinar: Bill Seeley, UCSF. “Swimming Upstream: Early Pathogenesis in Frontotemporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis”
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) represent extremes on a clinical continuum linked to underlying TDP-43 pathobiology. To gain insight into the early pathogenesis of these disorders requires methods capable of identifying incipient changes occurring in the most vulnerable cell types and regions. In this presentation, I will provide a conceptual framework for understanding selective vulnerability, describe the systems neuroanatomy of FTD and ALS, and provide an update on progress toward clarifying disease mechanisms downstream of TDP-43 pathobiology. I will then outline emerging strategies to pinpoint vulnerability factors and early molecular events that promote the disease process.
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About the Speaker
William Seeley, MD, is a neurologist and researcher specializing in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). He is a professor of neurology and pathology at UCSF and holds the Zander Family Distinguished Professorship in Neurology at the Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center. He also serves as Founding Director of the UCSF Neurodegenerative Disease Brain Bank.
Dr. Seeley earned his medical degree at UCSF, where his interest in neurodegenerative diseases began during a research elective with Dr. Bruce Miller. He completed an internship in internal medicine at UCSF before pursuing a neurology residency at Harvard Medical School, training at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals. He then returned to UCSF for a fellowship in behavioral neurology, during which he developed expertise in diagnosing and treating patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Seeley’s research focuses on why and how neurodegenerative diseases target specific nerve cell populations. Using a blend of clinical, neuroimaging, neuropathological, and molecular biological techniques, his laboratory seeks to clarify disease pathogenesis and use these insights to develop novel diagnostic and treatment approaches.
In recognition of his groundbreaking research, Dr. Seeley was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 2011 and the Potamkin Prize for Research in Pick’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Related Disorders in 2025.
