Contributed by Daniel Nation, PhD, UCI MIND Faculty Member, Associate Professor of Psychological Science at UCI APOE4 is the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Although the predominant view has been that APOE4 conveys risk for Alzheimer’s dementia primarily through its effects on amyloid levels, prior work has also shown that APOE4 has adverse effects on the blood vessels of the brain. In a recent study published in Nature, colleagues at University of Southern California and I demonstrated that APOE4…
Read More
The Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy and the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center have partnered to host a virtual panel of experts discussing COVID-19. The event takes place Thursday, May 14, from 7 to 8 p.m. Four experts, including UCI MIND faculty member Dr. Ed Monuki, will address the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Monuki recently blogged about the state of antibody testing. Hear more on this topic at the virtual panel. Register here. It will be streamed on Facebook at facebook.com/UCIStemCell and on YouTube at https://youtu.be/Pau-eWPE0RY. For further information, contact Judy Baek at Judy.baek@uci.edu
Read More
California’s stay-at-home order has been especially tough for one caregiver population: Family members caring for someone who has dementia. Because of the novel coronavirus, adult daycare centers are closed temporarily and home services have been put on hold, cutting off critical support systems for this group. Here are a few tips from UCI Health for anyone now caring for a family member with dementia, provided by Jung-Ah Lee, PhD, an associate professor at the UCI Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing: Read the full article here >
Read More
UCI has launched the ASSIST Program – Assisting & Serving Socially Isolated Seniors via Telephone. UCI medical and nursing students who have been mobilized received the program training, and are ready to be paired with older adult participants who would like to receive regular check-ins via telephone just to chat and/or to receive referrals to community resources during this difficult time while they are self-isolating. The flyer is linked here and provided below. If interested, please call: (714) 497-0315.
Read More
During this time of uncertainty, communities, businesses and families are being impacted like never before. People are also coming together to help others in unprecedented ways. And while we all are spending more and more time at home, many of us are looking for ways to strengthen our communities while maintaining the current health and safety recommendations from the CDC. I’d like to invite you and your families to make a real difference without leaving your home or opening your wallet. I’m an OC Mom and researcher at UCI MIND. We are seeking volunteers to sign up for our “Consent-to-Contact”…
Read More
Contributed by Christian Salazar, PhD, UCI MIND Project Scientist The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on families all across our country, with 70,000 reported deaths to date. Early in the pandemic the data had suggested that African Americans were being admitted to the hospital and dying in disproportionate numbers. In fact, an analysis by the Washington Post revealed that coronavirus death rates were about six times higher in black majority counties than in white majority counties. More recent data also showed that Latinos and Indigenous groups like the Navajo people were dying in excess numbers. What could explain…
Read More
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.
Read More
We’re pleased to announce the “Focus on Aging” webinar series with the Administration for Community Living, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the National Institute on Aging. The first webinar, “Supporting Older Adults in Emergencies: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery” will be held May 13 at 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET. Register today! https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/focus-aging-federal-partners-webinar-series A message from: Nina Silverberg, PhD Director, Alzheimer's Disease Centers Program Division of Neuroscience National Institute on Aging National Institutes of Health
Read More
Contributed by Edwin Monuki, MD, PhD, Warren L. Bostick Professor and Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UC Irvine A recent article in the The New York Times focuses on an issue of grave concern among US health care providers - the flood of unapproved “lateral flow” tests for detecting COVID-19 antibodies. This flood resulted from an FDA decision to allow antibody testing without their usual approval process in order to accelerate the national response to COVID-19. Unfortunately (and not surprisingly), this also resulted in an antibody testing market that one interviewee in the NYT article called the “Wild West”.…
Read More
NPR reports May 1, 2020 4:22 PM ET - The Food and Drug Administration has given emergency use authorization to the antiviral drug remdesivir to treat hospitalized patients with the coronavirus, President Trump on Friday told reporters at the White House. Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day said remdesivir maker Gilead Sciences is donating 1.5 million vials of the drug and will work with the federal government to distribute it to patients in need...
Read More
