About the Speaker: Nicole Berchtold, PhD is an associate project scientist at UCI MIND. She completed her BS in Biology at Duke University, spent 2 years in neuroscience research at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and completed her PhD and postdoctoral research at UCI. She has over 40 publications investigating biological mechanisms by which exercise enhances hippocampal function and learning, and the molecular changes that occur in the brain with aging and Alzheimer’s disease. She has helped procure multiple grants for over 25 years and is a regular contributor to journal reviews and conferences in her discipline.
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Join UCI MIND on Friday, July 10 at 11:00-11:30 AM for our monthly Facebook Live Q&A series. In this episode, Dr. Nicole Berchtold, a UCI MIND laboratory scientist, will answer your questions about exercise and brain health. Click this direct link to watch the video and ask your questions.
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Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD, Director of UCI MIND This morning (July 8, 2020), Biogen and Eisai announced that the two companies had together completed submission to the FDA for regulatory and marketing approval of aducanumab, the monoclonal antibody against the beta amyloid protein that accumulates in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease. We’ve previously written about the unique set of circumstances under which Biogen is submitting their application. Two large Phase 3 clinical trials were halted for futility in 2019, only for later assessments of the study data to lead to the sponsors to conclude that the drug…
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Dr. Elizabeth Head (left) studies Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease at UCI. In an accompanying editorial, Elizabeth Head, PhD, of University of California Irvine, and Beau Ances, MD, PhD, of Washington University St Louis, wrote, "Fortea and colleagues noted similarities between biomarkers reflecting Alzheimer disease pathogenesis in individuals with Down syndrome and individuals with late onset and autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease. These results provide strong evidence that studies of people with Down syndrome can inform research on late-onset and autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease." Read more here >
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Contributed by Christian Salazar, PhD, UCI MIND Project Scientist The Neighborhood Atlas: California - 2015 ADI State Rankings While the link between poverty and disease is well documented in health disparities research, a practical way to connect poverty with biological processes has proven to be difficult. Nevertheless, recent advancements like the new publicly-available tool called “The Neighborhood Atlas” has made it easier for health disparities researchers to rank and geographically map neighborhoods according to socioeconomic disadvantage. In a recent JAMA article, researchers linked The Neighborhood Atlas with repositories of brain tissue in a sample of 447 decedents from California and…
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Breaking News from CA Governor Newsom: COVID-19 cases are spreading at alarming rates in some CA counties. Effective immediately, California Department of Public Health is requiring counties that have been on the County Monitoring List for at least 3 days to move certain sectors outdoors or close. In addition, all brewpubs, breweries, bars, and pubs in these counties must close immediately, both indoor and outdoor. Visit covid19.ca.gov for more information. UCI In The News: State puts Orange County on coronavirus watch list: Orange County Register: Bernadette Boden-Albala, dean of University of California, Irvine’s public health program and…
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AMENDED ORDERS AND STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COUNTY OF ORANGE HEALTH OFFICER REVISED July 1, 2020 In light of the recent increased COVID-19 hospitalization rate in Orange County, the placement of Orange County on the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) County Monitoring List, and further CDPH guidance, these AMENDED ORDERS AND STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS revise the prior AMENDED ORDERS AND STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS, issued by the Orange County Acting Health Officer on June 19, 2020. The June 19, 2020 Amended Orders and Strong Recommendations are no longer in effect as of the effective date and time of these AMENDED ORDERS AND…
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Shreya and Saffron Patel usually FaceTime their grandparents in England every weekend, but during the novel coronavirus pandemic, they have typically reached out each day. Their grandmother on their mom’s side hasn’t left her apartment in nearly four months. She lives alone and can no longer socialize at the gym. Some of her younger friends have stopped by, and she leans out her kitchen window to chat. One friend sends handwritten letters. When the Patel sisters, who live in Boston, spoke to their grandmother, they noticed her mood improve. She texted them about the cards and showed them to her…
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June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month. While COVID-19 and systemic racism continue to profoundly affect our nation, it is important to reflect on the role of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in these unprecedented times. COVID-19 disproportionately impacts people with dementia and their caregivers, and both conditions disproportionately impact people of color. Wall Street Journal | Source: CDC According to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently highlighted in a Wall Street Journal article, approximately 100,000 people died from Alzheimer’s dementia from February through May alone – 18% higher than average. Moreover, the article discusses the pandemic’s abrupt halt to…
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Laughter On Call founder, Dani Klein Modisett, was recently featured in the New York Times. Learn more about the inspiration behind the program here. We could all use a laugh in these uncertain times. If you’re a person with Alzheimer’s disease, a family member, or caregiver, you can join LaughterOnCall for their virtual Lunchtime Laughter meetings, Monday-Friday at 12 PM PST. This webinar offers a light-hearted, engaging way to laugh and cope with feelings of isolation that can come from social distancing. To register, visit https://zoom.us/meeting/register/uZEtdemurzIq_pN_HCQ7TY2I8cpa4NsoGQ OR e-mail info@laughteroncall.com to sign up. LaughterOnCall may record these meetings for quality purposes.
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