University of Wisconsin–Madison

A Fair Fight Against Alzheimer’s: The Need for Equity in Dementia Research and Care

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How can we ensure that all communities are represented in Alzheimer’s and related dementias research and have access to the latest treatments and interventions? Dr. Carl Hill, the chief diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer for the Alzheimer’s Association, joins the podcast to delve into the significance of representation, diversity, equity, equality and inclusion within Alzheimer’s disease research. He discusses the challenges of underrepresentation in clinical trials, the importance of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and the social determinants of health that influence Alzheimer’s risk.

Guest: Carl V. Hill, PhD, MPH, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Alzheimer’s Association

Agitation and Alzheimer’s: Strategies for Managing Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

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Many people living with dementia experience behavioral symptoms alongside changes in their cognition. What can care partners and healthcare providers do to manage these behavioral changes? After leading the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s (ADRC) annual Dr. Daniel I. Kaufer Lecture, Dr. Helen Kales joins the podcast to discuss agitation and other behavioral symptoms of dementia, the use of medications to manage these symptoms, and different caregiving approaches for addressing these behavioral changes in people living with dementia.

Guest: Helen Kales, MD, geriatric psychiatrist, Joe P. Tupin Endowed Professor of Psychiatry, Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis

Promises to Practice: Creating Sustainable Community Partnerships to Support Alzheimer’s Research

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Gina Green-Harris joins the podcast to discuss the importance of collaborating with communities in Alzheimer’s research. Sharing her experience as a researcher with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI) and the All of Us research program, she describes the key tenets of community engagement and explains ways researchers can build intentional, sustainable partnerships with communities throughout the research process This episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations.

Guest: Gina Green-Harris, MBA, director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute Regional Milwaukee Office, co-primary investigator, co-director, University of Wisconsin–Madison’s All of Us research program

Study Shows APOE Gene Affects Hispanic Populations’ Risk of Cognitive Decline Differently to Non-Hispanic Populations

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The APOE gene is recognized as a significant genetic risk factor for cognitive decline, with different alleles, like APOE e2, being seen as protective against decline and others, like APOE e4, indicating an increased risk for cognitive decline. However, new studies are looking at whether these trends are universal across different racial and ethnic groups. Dr. Cally Xiao joins the podcast to discuss her study, which focuses on how different APOE alleles affect risk for Alzheimer’s disease within Hispanic populations compared to non-Hispanic populations.

Guest: Cally Xiao, PhD, Project Specialist, Global Alzheimer’s Association Interactive Network, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, University of Southern California

Putting Lecanemab into Practice: A Clinician’s Perspective on the New Alzheimer’s Treatment

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On July 6, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval for the Alzheimer’s disease drug Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb), the first medicine shown to delay the course of the disease. Having gone through a rigorous approval process, the medication exemplifies a critical advancement in the ongoing battle to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Having already prescribed the treatment to real-life patients, Dr. Robert Przybelski joins the podcast to discuss his experience prescribing and administering lecanemab, what clinicians and patients should discuss when considering these treatments, and what is needed to integrate these treatments into the healthcare system.

Guest: Robert Przybelski, MD, MS, director, Geriatric Memory Clinics, UW Health, professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Deciding to Donate: Barriers and Benefits of Brain Donations for Diverse Populations

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Dr. Crystal Glover, health equity in aging researcher at Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, joins the podcast to discuss the importance of increasing brain donations and tissue samples from older adults of underrepresented backgrounds. Dr. Glover talks about the reasons why participants may be interested in brain donations, the barriers that they may face, and the benefits of combining both qualitative and quantitative data within her research. This episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations. 

Guest: Crystal Glover, PhD, leader, Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College

Lecanemab, Clinical Trials, and the Importance of Clinical Meaningfulness

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On June 9, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) advisory committee unanimously voted to approve lecanemab, moving the treatment one step closer to full FDA approval. In the lead up to the FDA’s official announcement expected in early July, Dr. Paul Aisen joins the podcast to discuss Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials. Aisen,  the founding director of the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI) and a leading figure in Alzheimer’s disease research for over three decades, talks about the Phase 3 clinical trials for lecanemab and gantenerumab and shares highlights from the 2022 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) conference.

Guest: Paul Aisen, MD, professor of neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Director, Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute

Understanding the Social Determinants of Health and Disparities in Alzheimer’s Research

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Dr. Lisa Barnes joins the podcast to discuss her research focusing on how social determinants of health, specifically racial differences, affect chronic diseases of aging.She explains the difference between equality, equity and justice, and the different drivers of disparities within the medical field. This episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations. 

Guest: Lisa Barnes, PhD, Alla V. and Solomon Jesmer Professor of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, neuropsychologist, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

Take Care of Your MIND: Reviewing the MIND Diet for Healthy Brain Aging

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To mark National Mediterranean Diet Month, Dr. Nathaniel Chin discusses a recent National Institute on Aging-funded study that suggests the MIND and Mediterranean diets — both rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans and fish — are associated with fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of older adults. In this special episode of Dementia Matters, Chin also revisits his interview with the creator of the MIND diet, Dr. Martha Clare Morris, shares recommendations for ten things to incorporate into your diet and five things to limit, and touches on the benefits of intermittent fasting.

The National Strategy for Diversifying Alzheimer’s Research

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Dr. Sarah Biber, the program director for the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC), joins the podcast to discuss efforts to increase representation and equitable practices across the 37 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs). She discusses key disparities in Alzheimer’s disease research, why diversity and inclusion are imperative in research, and what is being done to address these disparities with the data collected from research participants. This episode is the first of an upcoming series featuring speakers from the Fall 2022 ADRC Meeting, where the overarching theme was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in ADRC research and operations. 

Guest: Sarah Biber, PhD, program director, National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center

The Future of Neuroscience: Early-Career Researchers Named ’One to Watch’ by the Alzheimer’s Association

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Recorded live from the Wisconsin ADRC’s Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias Research Day, Dr. Nathaniel Chin discusses the importance of mentorship and the future of neuroscience and Alzheimer’s disease research with the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC) Neuroscience Next ‘One to Watch’ award recipients and the event’s organizers.

Guests: Barbara Bendlin, PhD, director, UW-Madison Neuroscience and Public Policy Program, leader, Research Education Component (REC), Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; Claire Sexton, DPhil, senior director of scientific programs and outreach, Alzheimer’s Association; Nadia Dehghani, BS, co-chair, Neuroscience Next Scientific Program Committee; Claire André, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Université de Montréal; Chinmayi Balusu, founder, CEO, Simply Neuroscience; Kacie Deters, PhD, assistant professor, University of California Los Angeles; Kao Lee Yang, MPA/PhD candidate in the Neuroscience and Public Policy Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Studies Look at Generational Differences and Associations between Cognition, Sensory Changes and Blood Biomarkers

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Dr. Natascha Merten joins the podcast to discuss her study focused on trends in cognitive function across generations. Merten also explains her research on the associations between sensory and motor functions and blood-based biomarkers for neurodegeneration and dementia.

Guest: Natascha Merten, PhD, MS, director, Beaver Dam Offspring Study-Neurocognitive Aging Study, assistant professor, Departments of Population Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Disclosing Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Results in Diverse Populations

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Dr. Annalise Rahman-Filipiak joins the podcast to discuss her research focused on disclosing neuroimaging biomarkers across diverse populations. She addresses why some people might want to know their biomarker results, while others might not, and how careful disclosure of these results to at-risk individuals may help prepare them and their families for the future through personalized treatment, research engagement, advanced planning and emotional support.

Guest: Annalise Rahman-Filipiak, PhD, assistant professor, neuropsychologist, department of psychiatry, University of Michigan

Difficult but Beneficial Conversations about End-of-Life Care

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For families and dementia care partners, palliative care can help improve the quality of life for their loved ones and themselves by addressing physical and emotional needs. However, starting conversations around end-of-life care and planning can be difficult. Dr. Elizabeth Bukowy joins the podcast to explain the difference between palliative and hospice care, share how families and care partners can start these challenging conversations, and discuss why these discussions are essential for quality of life.

Guest: Elizabeth Bukowy, DO, CMD, assistant professor, Medical College of Wisconsin Division of Geriatrics; medical director, Lutheran Home and Congregational Home

Caregiving While Black: Dementia Care For Different Racial And Ethnic Groups

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When seeking medical information and treatment, different racial and ethnic groups may require specially tailored information to relate to, understand and apply to their own experiences. In this episode, Dr. Fayron Epps joins the podcast to talk about the unique experiences of African American caregivers and her lab’s work to provide education and assistance to their needs. Epps seeks to promote quality of life for families affected by dementia through research, education and service. This episode is part of a special three-part series highlighting speakers from the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s 20th Annual Update in Alzheimer’s Research and Related Dementias.

Guest: Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, assistant professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, principal investigator, Faith Village Research Lab, founder, Alter