Archived News & Events

Archived News and Events: GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia 

Spring 2024 

• Brain Health Month
  • In partnership with DC Heath and the Alzheimer’s Association, the Institute organized Brain Health Month in May-June of 2024. We aimed to focus on risk reduction and prevention, early detection, diagnosis and connection to care, improving quality of life and safety, and supporting caregivers and care partners. To connect and support the local community around brain health, we hosted a serious of webinars, meditation sessions, community center events, cognitive impairment screenings, brain health screenings and more!
• GW University Seminar Series - Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
  • Dr. Logan Dumitrescu is a computational geneticist and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her seminar focused on her current research aimed to uncover the molecular and genetic factors that contribute to risk and resilience from Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. 
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• January Monthly Meeting 
  • Friday, January 12th, 2024 
  • This meeting featured research updates from faculty and updates regarding Brain Health Month Planning 

Fall 2023

• December Monthly Meeting 
  • Friday, December 8th, 2023 
  • This meeting featured research updates from faculty and discussion of Brain Health Month
• GW University Seminar Series - Race and Sex Disparities in Vascular Function 
  • Dr. Sushant Ranadive is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Maryland. In this seminar, he discussed his current research on the racial and sex disparities in vascular function following acute inflammation. 
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• Careers in Brain Health and Aging: Research, Policy, and Advocacy 
  • Erin Bennett spoke to undergraduate and graduate students about her experience as an MPH Epidemiology student at GW, Research Associate at GW, and PhD student at Johns Hopkins University. She provided advice regarding careers doing research in both academia and industry settings. 
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• GW University Seminar Series - Cultural and Social Factors in the Assessment of Neuropsychological Health 
  • Dr. Antonio Puente, Chief Psychologist at the GW MFA Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, discussed his research on the different sociocultural factors that influence performance in neuropsychological assessments. He seeks to better understand how the gold-standard tests in neuropsychological assessment can hold inherent bias in the way they adjust for race and ethnicity. 
  • Seminar recording will be available here. 

• October Monthly Meeting 
  • October 13th, 2023 
  • This month featured a presentation about the NIH R25-funded EPGRAD program, presented by Dr. Adam Ciarleglio and several EPGRAD alumni. 
• September Monthly Meeting 
  • September 8th, 2023
  • This month featured updates from faculty and a presentation about the new CMS GUIDE program by Institute co-director, Christina Prather. 

Spring 2023

• Community Talks at the Lubber Run 55+ Center 

  • May 2, 2023 

  • Dr. Keith Cole presented Physical Activity and Brain Health. 

• April Monthly Meeting 

  • April 14, 2023 

  • This month featured roundtable introductions from Institute faculty members on their research portfolios. The faculty members who presented included Dr. Margaret Ulfers, Dr. Nicola Wolfe, Dr. Adam Ciarleglio, Dr. Emma Stapp, Dr. Trudy Mallinson, Dr. Lorens Helmchen, and Dr. Melinda Power 

• GW University Seminar Series - Social Science Research for Dementia Health Equity  

  • April 26, 2023 

  • Dr. Julie M. Zissimopoulos, a Professor at the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California and the Director of USC’s Resource Center for Minority Aging Research, and Center for Advancing Sociodemographic and Economic Study of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (CeASES-ADRD), discussed her research on disparities in race, sex and ethnicity and dementia risk, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as the use and response of drug therapies for non-dementia conditions that influence dementia.  

  • Seminar recording available here. 

• GW University Seminar Series - Global ADRD Research: opportunities for dementia prevention in Brazil  

  • April 12, 2023 

  • Dr. Suemoto, an Associate Professor of Geriatrics at the University of Sao Paulo Medical School in Brazil, discussed her international research in dementia prevention. Dr. Suemoto emphasized how the aging population in Brazil is predicted to rise, and with that, dementia is predicted to increase by 206% in 2050. When preventing dementia, Dr. Suemoto stressed the need for a population-level approach to changing lifestyle factors and tackling dementia risk factors early in life such as low education and ultra-processed food intake. 

  • Seminar recording available here. 

• March Monthly Meeting
  • March 10, 2023
  • This month featured a presentation on the ISTAART program and an update on the R25 by Institute faculty member, Dr. Adam Ciarleglio.

• Community Talks at the Lubber Run 55+ Center 

  • April 5, 2023 

  • Dr. Salama Freed presented Does My Health Insurance Cover That? Simplifying Medicare. 

• GW University Seminar Series - Mixed-Methods Recruitment in ADRD   

  • April 5, 2023 

  • Dr. Jonathon Jackson, the executive director of the Community Access, Recruitment, and Engagement (CARE) Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School discussed his research with a five-part model that aims to challenge current research methods to best represent diversity in ADRD research. Dr. Jackson emphasized that the lack of representation in research threatens the external validity of studies and destabilized science. Dr. Jackson also stressed the importance of rethinking systems to best represent the population in ADRD research.  

  • Seminar recording available here. 

• GW University Seminar Series - Yoga improves balance, mobility, and return to occupations
  • March 8, 2023 
  • Dr. Jaclyn Stephens, an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University discussed her research on evaluating adolescents and adults with a sports-related concussion and more severe forms of traumatic brain injury using behavioral measures and neuroimaging techniques, like electroencephalography, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Specifically, she seeks to better understand the neural physiology of head injury, create innovative behavioral measures for return-to-play evaluations, and evaluate brain-behavior changes that are elicited from intervention, like yoga.
  • Seminar recording available here.

• Community Talks at the Lubber Run 55+ Center
  • March 2, 2023
  • Dr. Nicola Wolfe presented Brain Health, An Update.
• GW University Seminar Series - Are Pooled Studies Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts?
  • February 22, 2023
  • Dr. Deborah Levine, a Professor of Medicine in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Neurology at the University of Michigan's Medical School, and a practicing physician discussed her research that aims to improve the prevention of dementia and stroke, increase health equity, and impact public policy. Her primary research interests are vascular cognitive impairment and the quality of cardiovascular disease care.
  • Seminar recording available here.

• GW University Seminar Series - Cognitive-motor assessment of early cognitive decline
  • February 15, 2023 
  • Dr. Keith Cole, an Assistant Professor of the George Washington University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program discussed his overall research goal to improve movement dysfunction and community participation for those with falls risk and following neuromuscular compromise. He does this by investigating different afferent systems’ contributions to movement accuracy. His current research looks at movement during a cognitive load (Dual-Tasking), vestibular dysfunction and exercise dosage, and lower extremity muscle neurophysiology.
  • Seminar recording available here.

• GW University Seminar Series - Digitizing Driving as a Marker for Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease
  • February 8, 2023
  • Dr. Ganesh M. Babulal, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology within Washington University's School of Medicine discussed investigating the relationship between cognitive function and mental health and its impact on the daily living activities of those with chronic neurological diseases. His specific research projects include characterizing functional changes in older adults using Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, predicting global decline in aging using neurobehavioral markers, assessing how social forces (e.g. discrimination, chronic stress, racism) influence health and well-being among racial and ethnic minorities, and developing/validating effective educational programs to improve and prolong functional outcomes in aging.
  • Seminar recording available here.

• GW University Seminar Series - Clinical Phenotypes and Pathological Substrates of Post-Traumatic Neurodegeneration: A Multiple Etiology Dementia
  • January 25, 2023
  • Dr. Kristen Dams-O'Connor, Director of the Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai, discussed her research in outcomes for patients experiencing traumatic brain injuries (TBI) along with clinical indicators of complications such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES). Dr. Dams-O'Connor discussed differences in outcomes and prognosis between repeated vs. isolated brain injuries, and disputed some previously-accepted claims. She reviewed clinical diagnostic criteria for these conditions, and related this research to women experiencing intimate partner violence who experience brain injuries.

• GW University Seminar Series - Racial Identity and Neuropsychological Function in Former College and Professional American Football Athletes
  • January 18, 2023
  • Dr. Robert Turner, Assistant Professor of Clinical Research and Leadership at GW's School of Medicine and Health Sciences, discussed his NIH funded research project which explores chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in past football players. Dr. Turner shared his work in comparing psychomotor, memory, and learning function in Black and White participants. He specifically reviewed neuropsychological test performance disparities.

• January Monthly Meeting
  • January 13, 2023
  • This month, Institute members reflected on and celebrated accomplishments since the beginning of the institute, including over 260 peer-reviewed publications authored by our faculty members and 81 externally funded grants. Welcome new faculty member, Dr. Emma Stapp

Fall 2022

• December Monthly Meeting 
  • December 9, 2022
  • This month, Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu from Johns Hopkins University presented his work regarding psychedelics as treatment for mood disorders in those with Alzheimer's Dementia. Specifically, Dr. Garcia-Romeu discussed the use of Psilocybin and its potential to treat addiction, anxiety, and depression. He is currently recruiting participants diagnosed with early Alzheimer's Dementia or MCI who have depressed mood to participate in a study using Psilocybin as treatment, with the goal of reducing depression and improving quality of life.
• November Monthly Meeting 
  • November 11, 2022
  • This month, we heard from Dr. DiPietro, who reviewed the Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure process for faculty here at GW! She discussed the general timeline, criteria, and elements involved. Congratulations to our members who shared good news about grant updates and awards!
• Careers in Brain Health and Aging: Research, Policy, & Advocacy - Lunch N' Learn Event 
  • October 26, 12 - 1 pm
  • Carolyn Ward, MSPH, from the Georgetown Brain Bank and GUMC Memory Disorders Program discussed her career path, her work in brain health, and answered student questions.​​ ​​
• October Monthly Meeting 
  • October 14, 2022
  • This month, two new faculty members, Dr. Diao and Dr. Freed shared their work and research. Dr. Diao's research interests include semiparametric and robust modeling, missing data problems, multivariate outcome data analysis, diagnostic testing, high-dimensional data analysis, and the application of these methods to ADRD. Dr. Freed's research focuses on the effects of policy and care delivery on the aging experience and access to care for older adults, with a specific focus on Medicare and long-term care.
• Walk to End Alzheimer's Event
  • October 8, 2022
  • The Institute put together a team to participate in the Alzheimer's Association's Walk to End Alzheimer's
• September Monthly Meeting
  • September 9, 2022
  • This month, prospective member Dr. Marvar gave a presentation on Cardiovascular Behavioral Health and Disease.

Spring / Summer 2022

• 2022 Strategic Planning Retreat
  • July 22, 2022
  • Institute faculty members met virtually to review the progress of the Institute over the past year and to discuss plans for the 2022-2023 year. Faculty celebrated successes, both personal and those of the Institute, reviewed advice from the Advisory Board, and set goals for the coming year.
• GW University Seminar Series – Age-Friendly Communities: Focusing on Person-Centered Inclusivity and Purpose
  • May 25, 2022
  • We continued our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with a presentation by Gail Kohn, MHA, the Age-Friendly DC Coordinator. Ms. Kohn discussed how the DC government is working to make DC more accessible to people of all ages. 
  • Seminar recording available here.
• May Monthly Meeting
  • May 11, 2022
  • This month, the Institute introduced Dr. Warren, who discussed her research interests of stigma and stress response. She is interested in changing the framework for how those with dementia are cared for and how their caregivers are educated, with a focus on integrative care approaches. 
• GW University Seminar Series – DC Efforts Around Brain Health and Dementia
  • May 4, 2022
  • We continued our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with a presentation by Tihitina Chamiso, MPH, and Shannon Gopaul, MPH, from DC Health. Ms. Chamiso and Ms. Gopaul discussed how the DC Department of Health is working to address dementia in the District. They spoke about the Brain Health Initiative, which works to promote healthy aging through policy and system-level changes, how as well as the development of the State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias. The presentation concluded with a brief Q&A.
  • Seminar recording available here.
• April Monthly Meeting
  • April 13, 2022
  • This month, members of the Institute met to discuss internal matters and welcomed a new member! 
• GW University Seminar Series – Biopsychosocial Pathways in Dementia Inequalities
  • March 30, 2022
  • We continued our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with a presentation by Dr. Laura Zahodne. Dr. Zahodne discussed potential explanations for inequalities in dementia prevalence, such as the possibility that current studies aren’t capturing all of the relevant risk factors, or that the risk factors we’ve identified have differential effects across racial and ethnic minorities. Dr. Zahodne also spoke about new cohorts focusing on cognitive disparities research, including one that recently obtained the first-ever dementia prevalence estimates among older Arab American adults. The presentation concluded with a brief Q&A.
  • Seminar recording available here.
• Lunch N' Learn Event: Careers in Brain Health and Aging
  • March 25, 2022
  • Our Student Engagement Committee hosted a Lunch N' Learn event, where GW students were invited to a Q&A with two GW alumni working in the field of brain health and aging.
• March Monthly Meeting
  • March 9, 2022
  • This month's meeting was a closed executive session for faculty members.
• GW University Seminar Series – Physical Activity and Brain Health in Older Adults
  • February 16, 2022
  • We continued our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with a presentation by Dr. Kirk Erickson. Dr. Erickson spoke about the association between physical activity and decreased risk of dementia and cognitive decline, including some of the possible mechanisms that could explain this association and the effects of physical activity on the brain across the lifespan.
  • Seminar recording available here.
• GW University Seminar Series – Modifiable Risk Factors Associated with Dementia
  • February 2, 2022
  • Our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum continued with a presentation by Dr. Loretta DiPietro, titled, "Modifiable Risk Factors Associated with Dementia." Dr. DiPietro gave an overview of many of the modifiable risk factors for dementia that have been identified throughout the life course, such as educational attainment, TBI, exposure to air pollution, and social isolation. She also spoke about priorities from a policy, systems, and environment perspective to address these risk factors, including laws to reduce occupational- and transportation-related TBIs, stricter regulations for air and noise pollution, and the creation of more age-friendly environments. 
  • Seminar recording available here.
• January Monthly Meeting
  • January 12, 2022
  • This month's meeting was dedicated to a speed dating event for faculty members to share their research interests.

Fall 2021

• GW University Seminar Series – Hearing Loss and the Aging Brain
  • December 15, 2021
  • We continued our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with a presentation by Dr. Jennifer A. Deal, titled, "Hearing Loss and the Aging Brain." Dr. Deal spoke about the relationship between hearing loss and dementia, potential pathways linking these two conditions, and how sensory loss can affect cognitive tests in older adults. The session concluded with a brief Q&A.
  • Seminar recording available here.
• GW University Seminar Series – Impact of Aging on Cerebral Blood Flow Regulation in Humans
  • December 1, 2021
  • We continued our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with a presentation by Dr. Jill N. Barnes, titled, "Impact of Aging on Cerebral Blood Flow Regulation in Humans." Dr. Barnes spoke about how neurovascular control and vascular function change with age, how this may influence brain health, and the factors influencing cerebral vascular function. The session concluded with a brief Q&A.
  • Seminar recording available here.
• The Heart of His Story: Male Caregiver Perspective in the Dementia Journey 
  • November 19, 2021
  • Institute faculty members Drs. Christina Prather and Robert Turner spoke at this webinar hosted in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association and the NFL Alumni Association. A panel of male caregivers for those living with dementia spoke about their experiences with caregiving, including their burdens, blessings, and lessons learned. 
  • Webinar recording available here (password: mB0xVe!E)
• GW University Seminar Series – Do Chronic Diseases Impact the Risk of Dementia?
  • November 17, 2021
  • We continued our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with a presentation by Dr. Melinda Power, titled, "Do Chronic Diseases Impact the Risk of Dementia?" Dr. Power spoke about the impact of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and depression on the risk of dementia diagnosis. She also discussed the importance of modifying upstream causes such as diet, physical activity, and social determinants of health to improve both physical and cognitive health. The session concluded with a Q&A.
  • Seminar recording available here.
• GW University Seminar Series – Toward Health Equity in Brain Aging                   
  • November 2, 2021
  • We kicked off our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with a presentation by Dr. Elizabeth Rose Mayeda from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Dr. Mayeda's presentation was titled "Toward Health Equity in Brain Aging: Nontraditional Data Sources and Innovative Tools." She discussed some of the methodological challenges in dementia research such as a lack of diversity in study samples, racial differences in the timing of dementia diagnoses, how women's participation in the labor force can affect cognitive decline, and the association between cumulative exposure to elevated blood pressure with late-life dementia incidence. The session concluded with a brief Q&A.
  • Seminar recording available here.
• October Monthly Meeting
  • October 13, 2021
  • The Institute's Clinical Director, Dr. Christina Prather, presented on the systematic racism present in the Aducanamab approval. Faculty member Dr. Loretta DiPietro also spoke about the Institute's upcoming Seminar Series, Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum.
• Walk to End Alzheimer's
  • October 9, 2021

  • The Institute formed a team to participate in the 2021 Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's. In addition to attending the event on the National Mall, our team raised more than $1,900 for Alzheimer's care, support, and research.  

     

• September Monthly Meeting
  • September 8, 2021
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    • Institute members met for a presentation from researchers at the DC VA Medical Center about some of their works-in-progress relating to veterans living with Alzheimer's and ADRD. The meeting concluded with an executive session

Spring / Summer 2021

• 2021 Strategic Planning Retreat 
  • July 19, 2021
  • Institute faculty met for a virtual planning retreat to reflect on the past year and discuss our vision for 2021–2022. We celebrated our Institute successes and progress toward our goals, discussed how major events from the past year have shaped our work, and set new goals for the coming year. 
• June Monthly Meeting 
  • June 23, 2021 
  • Institute members gathered for a presentation from DC Health, who provided an update on their work to promote brain health and address dementia in the District. The remainder of the meeting was spent in an executive session.
• Cultural Competence in Dementia Care: Discussing Diversity, Equity, and Compassionate Care: Part 3, Focusing on the Latino Community 
  • June 11, 2021
  • Institute faculty members Drs. Christina Prather and Tania Alchalabi presented at the final webinar in the series on culturally competent care for persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias within the Latino community.
• May Monthly Meeting 
  • May 26, 2021 
  • Institute member Kan Gianattasio presented her work on federal policy changes and hospice patients with ADRD. The remainder of the meeting was spent discussing potential seminar topics.
• April Monthly Meeting 
  • April 28, 2021 
  • GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia faculty members gathered for an executive session.
• Introduction to GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia Faculty Members Seminar Series 2
  • Friday, April 9th  
  • Presenters: Drs. Leigh Frame, Adam Ciarleglio, Jingkai Wei, & Mikhail Kogan
  • Seminar Recording: https://youtu.be/FTev3re9c34        
• March Monthly Meeting 
  • March 24, 2021 
  • GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia members gathered to discuss what data it would be most helpful to collect when creating a clinical cohort, recruited through the GW Memory Clinic.
• Cultural Competence in Dementia Care: Discussing Diversity, Equity, and Compassionate Care: Part 2, Focusing on the LGBTQ+ Community 
  • March 10, 2021
  • Institute faculty members Drs. Christina Prather and Tania Alchalabi presented at the second webinar in the series on whole-person care for persons living with Alzheimer's disease and all other dementias within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBTQ+) community. 
• Introduction to GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia Faculty Members Seminar Series 1
  • Friday, February 26th 
  • Presenters: Drs. Robert W. Turner II, Zurab Nadareishvili, Dr. Melinda Power, & Antonio Puente
  • Seminar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdfGMpR5KaY 
• February Monthly Meeting 
  • February 24, 2021 
  • Dr. Robert Turner presented on the progress of his current study entitled "Black Male Dementia Caregiver Burden: Stress-related Cognitive Dysfunction, and Psychosocial Measures. Dr. Nick Puente also presented on covid-19 cognitive changes.
• Brain Summit: A Conference on Alzheimer's & Dementia Research 
  • Our Clinical Director, Dr. Christina Prather gave a presentation at the Brain Summit hosted by the Alzheimer's Association. 
  • February 10, 12, 19, 26 
• January Monthly Meeting 
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    • January 27, 2021
    • We welcomed several new faculty members fom the SMHS and MFA. We also heard about the work of Dr. Keith Cole, from the SMHS Department of Health, Human Function, & Rehabilitation Science. He shared some of his research which examines the effects of cognition and cognitive decline on movement control in real-world situations and simulated real-world situations.
• Our DC Brain Health Needs Assessment conducted in collaboration with DC Health is now available!
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    • Institute faculty members, including Melinda Power, Beverly Lunsford, Maritza Dowling, Kan Gianattasio, Robert Turner, and Christina Prather, received a grant from DC Health to conduct a Brain Health Needs Assessment for the District of Columbia. More information can be found under "Completed Projects"

Fall 2020

• December Monthly Meeting
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    • December 9, 2020
    • GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia members gathered to share their current projects and key takeaways from the MCUAAAR seminar. The remainder of the meeting was spent discussing short-term goals for the Institute as we approach the new year. 
• Seminar with the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research (MCUAAAR): Understanding Community Based Research for Older Adults
  • Presenters: Dr. Tam Perry, Dr. Peter A. Litchenberg, and Vanessa O. Rorai
  • November 18, 2020 
  • This event covered MCUAAR's efforts to advance community-based research in underserved communities. It also addressed critical issues related to conducting research with a Community Advisory Board.
  • The recording can be viewed here
• November Monthly Meeting
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    • November 11, 2020
    • GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia members gathered to hear a presentation on the DC Health project findings and updates from the Community Engagement and Student Engagement Subcommittees. The remainder of the meeting was devoted to a discussion on the advisory board.
• Seminar with the Alzheimer's Association and National Caucus and Center on Black Aging
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    • Presenters: Karyne Jones, President and CEO of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging
    • October 28, 2020 (October Monthly Meeting)
    • This seminar was the first of our virtual series on Cultural Competence in Dementia Care: Discussing Diversity, Inequity, and Compassionate Care. Throughout the year we will highlight cultural competence and education for clinicians and community members about racial, ethnic, and other disparities leading to disparities in health outcomes for individuals with dementia.
• September Monthly Meeting
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    • Presenters: Mary Corcoran and Tiff Cunin
    • September 16, 2020
    • Drs. Corcoran and Cunin presented on C-TIPS -- Customized Toolkit of Information and Practical Solutions -- for dementia caregiver education. They presented the background and motivation for the tool and gave a demonstration of the available modules. The group discussed how best to test how use of the tool may impact care partner knowledge and behavior and discussed how to recruit study participants for such work given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2020 Strategic Planning Retreat
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    • August 21, 2020
    • GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia faculty met for a 5-hour strategic planning retreat on August 21, 2020. We celebrated our member successes over the past year, discussed how current events will impact our coming year, reviewed our progress and success in meeting our goals from the 2019 strategic retreat, and set new goals for the Institute in the 2020-2021 academic year, including increased engagement within GW and with community partners.

Spring / Summer 2020

• Seminar with the Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area Chapter entitled "Discussion of Clinical Experiences Caring for Persons with ADRD during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Health Equity Imperative"
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    • Presenters: Christina Prather, MD, clinical faculty Tania Alchalabi, MD and Douglas Pace, Director, Mission Partnerships, Alzheimer's Association.
    • June 24, 2020
    • The Institute partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area Chapter in June 2020 to host a virtual seminar. The seminar aimed to inform future research in the space of Dementia and COVID-19. The webinar featured
• GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia Receives Grant from DC Health to Conduct a Dementia Needs Assessment
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    • The GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia faculty members, including Melinda Power, Beverly Lunsford, Maritza Dowling, Kan Gianattasio, Robert Turner, and Christina Prather, received a grant from The DC Department of Health to conduct a Brain Health Needs Assessment in DC. This work will provide DC Health with estimates of the prevalence of dementia and dementia-related risk factors in DC, as well as a dementia-related assets and resources list and a first look into unmet caregiver needs in the district.
• Seminar Series Sessions 3 and 4 postponed until Fall 2020
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    • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, Seminar Series 3 and 4 have been postponed until the Fall 2020. Dates of the series TBD. This GW seminar series is a four-part series focused on integrating a patient-centered approach in adult cognitive health and dementia research. The first two seminars brought in speakers from PCORI and Johns Hopkins and focused on the basics of patient-centered outcomes research and how this research is conducted in the field. The remaining seminars will bring together community leaders, care partners and individuals living with cognitive impairment in a conversation to identify areas where more research is needed to drive program development or policy change to improve the lives of those living in the district with dementia and cognitive impairment.
• May Monthly Meeting – Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment
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        • Presenter: Zurab Nadareishvili, MD
        • Dr. Zurab Nadareishvili presented on stroke and post-stroke cognitive impairment. Dr. Nadareishvili discussed the burden of ischemic stroke in the United States and its link to vascular dementia. Dr. Nadareishvili covered the pathophysiology, risk factors, and epidemiology of stroke and vascular dementia in order to examine post-stroke dementia and cognitive decline. He discussed his findings from analysis of data from the SPS3 trial to assess post-stroke cognitive impairment among participants of the study.
• April Monthly Meeting – Neuropsychological Testing Basics
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        • Presenter: Nick Puente, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
        • Dr. Nick Puente from the GW SMHS presented an overview of neuropsychological testing, covering assessments used to evaluate cognitive function in individuals. Dr. Puente explained the metrics assessed by cognitive testing, including attention, motor functions, executive functions, memory, and visuospatial ability. He also examined the utility of neuropsychological testing, and its implications for assessing cognitive decline

Fall 2019

• Seminar Series 2: From Concept to Practice: An Example of a Successful Patient-Centered Outcomes Research     Project, December 3, 2019 (Link to video)
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        • Presenter: Orla Sheehan, MBBCh, MSc, PhD,
        • Dr. Orla Sheehan, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, presented on implementation of patient-centered outcomes approaches to conducting research and the strengths and challenges that come along with them. Dr. Sheehan has successfully collaborated with community partners in her previous projects, and her insight will help guide patient-centered research in the ADRD community.
• The GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia has been chartered!
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        • In December 2019, the Advisory Council on Research officially charted the GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia for a three-year period.