Archived News & Events

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

• 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.

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• 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. 

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

• 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
  • • 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.

• 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 
• • • 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!
• • • 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" 

• December Monthly Meeting
• • • 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
• • • 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
• • • 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
  • • 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
  • • 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.

• 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"
  • • 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
  • • 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
  • • 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
  • • • • 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
  • • • • 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

• Seminar Series 2: From Concept to Practice: An Example of a Successful Patient-Centered Outcomes Research     Project, December 3, 2019 (Link to video)
  • • • • 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!
  • • • • In December 2019, the Advisory Council on Research officially charted the GW Institute for Brain Health and Dementia for a three-year period.