Archived News & Events

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

Spring 2024

• May-June, 2024
  • In partnership with DC Health and the Alzheimer’s Association, the Institute organized Brain Health Month. 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 series of webinars, meditation sessions, community center events, cognitive impairment screenings, brain health screenings, and more!
• February 14, 2024
  • Dr. Logan Dumitrescu presented "Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias" at the GW Seminar Series: Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum. She is a computational geneticist and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her seminar focused on her current research aimed at uncovering the molecular and genetic factors that contribute to risk and resilience from Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. 

• January 12, 2024 
  • The January monthly meeting featured research updates from faculty and updates regarding Brain Health Month Planning. 

Fall 2023

• December 8, 2023 
  • This meeting featured research updates from faculty and a discussion of Brain Health Month.
• November 29, 2023
  • Dr. Sushant Ranadive, an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Maryland, presented Race and Sex Disparities in Vascular Function, as a part of the University Seminar Series: Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum. In this seminar, he discussed his current research on the racial and sex disparities in vascular function following acute inflammation. 

• November 1, 2023
  • The Institute held Careers in Brain Health and Aging: Research, Policy, and Advocacy, where 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 on careers in conducting research, both in academic and industrial settings. 

• October 18, 2023
  • Dr. Antonio Puente, Chief Psychologist at the GW MFA Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, presented Cultural and Social Factors in the Assessment of Neuropsychological Health as part of the GW University Seminar Series. He 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 13, 2023 
  • This month featured a presentation about the NIH R25-funded EPGRAD program, presented by Dr. Adam Ciarleglio and several EPGRAD alumni. 
• September 8, 2023
  • This month featured updates from faculty and a presentation about the new CMS GUIDE program by Institute co-director, Christina Prather. 

Spring 2023

• May 2, 2023

  • Dr. Keith Cole presented Physical Activity and Brain Health, at Community Talks at the Lubber Run 55+ Center. 

• 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. 

• April 26, 2023 

  • At the GW University Seminar Series, 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. 

• 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, presented Global ADRD Research: opportunities for dementia prevention in Brazil  as part of the GW University Seminar Series. 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 10, 2023
  • This month featured a presentation on the ISTAART program and an update on the R25 by Institute faculty member, Dr. Adam Ciarleglio.

• April 5, 2023 

  • Dr. Salama Freed presented Does My Health Insurance Cover That? Simplifying Medicare, at Community Talks at the Lubber Run 55+ Center. 

• 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, presented Mixed-Methods Recruitment in ADRD. He 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 destabilizes science. Dr. Jackson also stressed the importance of rethinking systems to best represent the population in ADRD research.  

  • Seminar recording available here. 

• March 8, 2023 
  • GW University Seminar Series - Yoga improves balance, mobility, and return to occupations
    • Dr. Jaclyn Stephens, an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University, presented Yoga Improves Balance, Mobility, and Return to Occupations, as a part of the GW University Seminar Series. She 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.

• March 2, 2023
  • Dr. Nicola Wolfe presented Brain Health: An Update, at Community Talks at the Lubber Run 55+ Center. 
• 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, presented Are Pooled Studies Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts?  as part of the GW University Seminar Series. She 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.

• February 15, 2023 
  • Dr. Keith Cole, an Assistant Professor of the George Washington University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, presented Cognitive-motor assessment of early cognitive decline as part of the GW University Seminar Series. He 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.

• February 8, 2023
  • Dr. Ganesh M. Babulal, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology within Washington University's School of Medicine, presented Digitizing Driving as a Marker for Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease as part of the GW University Seminar Series. He 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.

• January 25, 2023
  • Dr. Kristen Dams-O'Connor, Director of the Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai, presented Clinical Phenotypes and Pathological Substrates of Post-Traumatic Neurodegeneration: A Multiple Etiology Dementia as part of the GW University Seminar Series. She discussed her research on 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.

• January 18, 2023
  • Dr. Robert Turner, Assistant Professor of Clinical Research and Leadership at GW's School of Medicine and Health Sciences, presented Racial Identity and Neuropsychological Function in Former College and Professional American Football Athletes as part of the GW University Seminar Series. He 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 13, 2023
  • In this monthly meeting, 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. We welcomed a new faculty member, Dr. Emma Stapp.

Fall 2022

• 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 a depressed mood to participate in a study using Psilocybin as treatment, to reduce depression and improve quality of life.
• 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!
• October 26, 2022
  • The institute held Careers in Brain Health and Aging: Research, Policy, & Advocacy - Lunch N' Learn Event, where 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 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.
• October 8, 2022
  • The Institute put together a team to participate in the Alzheimer's Association's Walk to End Alzheimer's Event.
• September 9, 2022
  • This month, prospective member Dr. Marvar gave a presentation on Cardiovascular Behavioral Health and Disease.

Spring and Summer 2022

• July 22, 2022
  • Institute faculty members met virtually for the Strategic Planning Retreat 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.
• 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. She presented Age-Friendly Communities: Focusing on Person-Centered Inclusivity and Purpose. Ms. Kohn discussed how the DC government is working to make DC more accessible to people of all ages. 
  • Seminar recording available here.
• May 11, 2022
  • This month, the Institute introduced Dr. Warren, who discussed her research interests in 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. 
• May 4, 2022
  • We continued our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with the presentation DC Efforts Around Brain Health and Dementia 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 13, 2022
  • This month, members of the Institute met to discuss internal matters and welcomed a new member! 
• March 30, 2022
  • We continued our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with a presentation, Biopsychosocial Pathways in Dementia Inequalities 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.
• 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 9, 2022
  • This month's meeting was a closed executive session for faculty members.
• February 16, 2022
  • We continued our Seminar Series on Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum with a presentation, Physical Activity and Brain Health in Older Adults, 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.
• 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 12, 2022
  • This month's meeting was dedicated to a speed dating event for faculty members to share their research interests.

Fall 2021

• 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.
• 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.
• November 19, 2021
  • Institute faculty members Drs. Christina Prather and Robert Turner spoke at the webinar, The Heart of His Story: Male Caregiver Perspective in the Dementia Journey, 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. 
• 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.               
• 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 13, 2021
  • The Institute's Clinical Director, Dr. Christina Prather, presented on the systematic racism present in the Aducanumab approval. Faculty member Dr. Loretta DiPietro also spoke about the Institute's upcoming Seminar Series, Addressing Dementia Across the Public Health Spectrum.
• 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 8, 2021
  • 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

• July 19, 2021
  • Institute faculty met for a virtual strategic planning retreat to reflect on the past year and discuss our vision for 2021–2022. We celebrated our Institute's 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 23, 2021 
  • Institute members gathered for a presentation from DC Health, which 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.
• June 11, 2021
  • Institute faculty members Drs. Christina Prather and Tania Alchalabi presented at the final webinar, Cultural Competence in Dementia Care: Discussing Diversity, Equity, and Compassionate Care: Part 3, Focusing on the Latino Community in the series on culturally competent care for persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias within the Latino community.
• 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 28, 2021 
  • GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia faculty members gathered for an executive session.
• April 9, 2021
  • Drs. Leigh Frame, Adam Ciarleglio, Jingkai Wei, & Mikhail Kogan presented Introduction to GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia Faculty Members Seminar Series 2
  • Seminar Recording: https://youtu.be/FTev3re9c34        
• 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.
• March 10, 2021
  • Institute faculty members Drs. Christina Prather and Tania Alchalabi presented at the second webinar, Cultural Competence in Dementia Care: Discussing Diversity, Equity, and Compassionate Care: Part 2, Focusing on the LGBTQ+ Community 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. 
• February 26, 2021
  • Drs. Robert W. Turner II, Zurab Nadareishvili, Dr. Melinda Power, & Antonio Puente presented Introduction to GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia Faculty Members Seminar Series 1
  • Seminar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdfGMpR5KaY 
• 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.
• February 10, 12, 19, and 26, 2021
  • Our Clinical Director, Dr. Christina Prather, gave a presentation at the Brain Summit: A Conference on Alzheimer's & Dementia Research hosted by the Alzheimer's Association. 
• January 27, 2021
  • We welcomed several new faculty members from 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.
• January 19, 2021
  • Our DC Brain Health Needs Assessment, conducted in collaboration with DC Health, is now available! 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 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. 
• November 18, 2020 
  • The GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia hosted a seminar with the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research (MCUAAAR). Dr. Tam Perry, Dr. Peter A. Litchenberg, and Vanessa O. Rorai presented Understanding Community-Based Research for Older Adults. This event covered MCUAAR's efforts to advance community-based research in underserved communities and start an outreach program in a university setting.
  • The recording can be viewed here.
• 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.
• October 28, 2020
  • The institute held a seminar with the Alzheimer's Association and the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging. Karyne Jones, President and CEO of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, presented as the first seminar 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 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.
• 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

• June 24, 2020
  • The Institute partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area Chapter to host a virtual seminar. Christina Prather, MD, clinical faculty, Tania Alchalabi, MD, and Douglas Pace, Director, Mission Partnerships, Alzheimer's Association, presented "Discussion of Clinical Experiences Caring for Persons with ADRD during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Health Equity Imperative". The seminar aimed to inform future research in the space of Dementia and COVID-19. 
• May 20, 2020
  • 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 to examine post-stroke dementia and cognitive decline. He discussed his findings from the analysis of data from the SPS3 trial to assess post-stroke cognitive impairment among participants of the study.
• April, 2020
  • 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.
• March, 2020
  • 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.

Fall 2019

• December 3, 2019 
  • Dr. Orla Sheehan, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, presented Seminar Series 2: From Concept to Practice: An Example of a Successful Patient-Centered Outcomes Research. Her project is on the 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. Link to video
• December, 2019
  • The Advisory Council on Research officially charted the GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia.