People

Poston Lab

Kathleen Poston, MD, MS

Dr. Kathleen Poston is the Edward F. and Irene Thiele Pimley Professor of Neurology and the Neurological Sciences and Professor, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery. Dr. Poston received her Bachelor’s of Science in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and her Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University.  She also obtained her medical degree from Vanderbilt University and then completed her Neurology residency training at UCSF, where she was Chief Resident.  She completed a fellowship in clinical Movement Disorders under the mentorship of Dr. Stanley Fahn at Columbia University and post-doctoral training in Functional Neuroimaging with Dr. David Eidelberg at the Feinstein Institute.

When not at the lab, Dr. Poston enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.  She is an avid animal lover and, if not for her husband’s voice of reason, would adopt every stray who crosses her path.  She currently shares her home with two loving cats. As a former competitive swimmer and synchronized swimmer, she is also an exercise enthusiast and is currently training for a triathlon.

Marian Shahid-Besanti, MSc
Research Program Manager

Marian received her Bachelor's of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior from the University of California, Davis and her Master's of Science in Clinical Research Organization and Management from Drexel University. Before joining the Poston Lab, Marian worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at UCSF in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology on various pharmacokinetic studies looking at nicotine metabolism and the effect on cognition in smokers, and the clinical pharmacology of electronic cigarettes. Marian is interested in learning more about cognitive decline and behavioral changes in individuals with Parkinson's disease. While not at work, Marian enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing volleyball and basketball, and watching her favorite Bay Area sports teams (go Warriors!).

If you are interested in participating in our research studies, please contact Marian at:

Phone: (650) 723-0060
Email: mshahid@stanford.edu