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October 20, 2026
Talking about Memory Tests and Cognitive Screenings for Dementia
When a person goes through memory testing, what does that actually mean and what can they expect to learn from their results? Returning guest Dr. Tori Williams joins the podcast to discuss what cognitive screenings and tests are, the benefits of early and repeat memory testing and more.
October 6, 2026
Looking at More than Memory: Functional Assessments and Blood Tests for Alzheimer’s Disease in Primary Care
Though new blood-based biomarker tests have made it less expensive, less invasive and more accessible to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, they can’t replace the diagnostic process as a whole. Dr. Eric Widera joins the podcast to discuss the importance of assessing function when making a dementia diagnosis, what functional change can look like and how this kind of assessment can be incorporated into primary care practice, as well as debate how Alzheimer’s disease blood tests should be used in primary care.
Guest: Eric Widera, MD, professor of medicine, clinician-educator, Division of Geriatrics, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), director, Chief of Geriatrics, Palliative and Extended Care, medical director, Hospice & Palliative Care Service, San Francisco VA Health Care System, co-founder, GeriPal podcast, co-founder, ePrognosis
September 22, 2026
Examining Environmental Risk Factors’ Effects on Cognition
New research is looking at the effects of environmental factors on the brain as we age. Dr. Kathryn Conlon joins the podcast to discuss how factors like air pollution and lead exposure can affect cognition and overall brain health. She highlights how pollution affects both semantic and episodic memory as well as strategies for protecting brain health against these pollutants.
Guest: Kathryn Conlon, PhD, MPH, associate professor, University of California Davis
September 8, 2026
Blood Tests and Brain Scans and Biomarkers, Oh My! How Biomarkers are Changing Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials
In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved new biomarker tools for Alzheimer’s disease, including blood tests and tracers for brain scans. How are these tools used in research to help develop new Alzheimer’s treatments? Dr. Henrik Zetterberg returns to the podcast to discuss how blood tests, brain scans and other biomarker developments are transforming clinical trials and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions ahead of his upcoming Healthy Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) event.
Guest: Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD, professor of neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, visiting professor, University of Wisconsin Madison and University College London, Biomarker Core co-leader, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
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