Keynote speaker Dr. Neil Henderson will examine the connections between diabetes and dementia among American Indian people and share his research on prevention and community health interventions as The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center hosts a free community event Wednesday, Oct. 23, 5 p.m.to 8 p.m.
Topics for the evening will focus on the event theme of “New Frontiers in Alzheimer’s Disease Research” and will share recent findings in the study of healthy aging, brain health, and Alzheimer’s disease prevention.
“The field of Alzheimer’s disease research is progressing rapidly and twisting down new roads to bring us clues about how this disease starts, how it progresses, and how we can prevent it,” says Dr. Sanjay Asthana, director of the Wisconsin ADRC and professor of medicine (geriatrics) at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, in a press release. “The Annual Fall Lecture allows us the chance to report back to the community about the science behind brain health so they can use that information to take steps toward healthy aging and dementia prevention in their own lives.”
A Healthy Aging Resource Fair will feature representatives from the UW Health Wellness Center, Aging & Disability Resource Center of Dane County, the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin, the Alzheimer’s Association, and a number of other service organizations and resources for patients with dementia and their families and caregivers.
Dr. Neil Henderson is a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health and executive director of the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team on Health Disparities at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus. Dr. Henderson, who is Oklahoma Choctaw, researches dementia and diabetes among American Indian people. Specifically, his work is on dementia and diabetes as an interactive syndrome,
biological and cultural influences regarding recognition and treatment of dementia and diabetes, and community health interventions and education in the context of cultural diversity.
Two speakers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health will also offer Alzheimer’s disease and dementia-focused presentations. Dr. Barbara Bendlin, associate professor of medicine (geriatrics) and an Alzheimer’s disease researcher at the UW, will present her work on the microbiome and gut-brain health connections. Dr. Nathaniel Chin, assistant professor of medicine (geriatrics) and a memory care doctor at UW Health, will discuss how new discoveries in the field of Alzheimer’s disease research are changing the way doctors and scientists define the disease.
The event is free and open to the public. For registration, event details, and parking, visit the event website.
