In the News

Research is the key to finding treatments and cures for Alzheimer’s disease and other urgent health problems. If you or someone you know is interested in helping researchers at UCI find cures faster, check out our new online potential participant registry, Consent 2 Contact (C2C)!  c2c.uci.edu    

September 1, 2016 Nature   A paper published August 31 in Nature, describes that Biogen Idec’s candidate treatment, aducanumab, reduced amyloid-β in the brains of patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Patients receiving the highest doses of the medicine in the Phase IB trial had the largest reductions in brain amyloid and also declined the least in clinical assessments.  These are promising results that will require replication in larger clinical trials, which have recently launched, including at UCI MIND. Read the Nature news article about the study here.

(Steve Wood/Rex/Shutterstock) August 30, 2016 Huffington Post We are deeply saddened by the passing of beloved actor Gene Wilder yesterday. His family confirmed Alzheimer's disease as the cause of death, helping to lift the "veil of stigma about the most common cause of dementia."

(www.raiznerlaw.com) According to the New York Times, the NFL has stated in federal court documents that, “it expects nearly a third of retired players to develop long-term cognitive problems and that the conditions are likely to emerge at ‘notably younger ages’ than in the general population.” Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive degenerative disease found in people with repetitive brain trauma, such as athletes like football players and boxers. Repetitive brain trauma can cause an abnormal tau protein to accumulate and kill brain cells, even years after trauma stops. Learn more about the association between head trauma and dementia with Dr.…

Did you know that frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is more common than Alzheimer’s disease in people younger than 60 years old? FTD is a cluster of progressive, degenerative brain diseases that result in significant behavior and personality changes, typically before symptoms of memory loss occur. Learn more about FTD with Dr. Howard Rosen from UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center at our upcoming research conference on Friday, September 30 in Irvine. Register online before September 9 and SAVE!    

UC Office of the President July 25, 2016 University of California announces UCI team, led by UCI MIND co-director Dr. Joshua Grill, as a recipient of the UC Cures for Alzheimer’s award. Read more..."Joshua Grill, associate professor in the department of psychiatry and human behavior at UC Irvine, will lead a team to study the effects of high doses of vitamin nicotinamide in reducing tau phosphorylation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease..."

July 22, 2016 The latest findings from The 90+ Study were recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) by UCI MIND's Szofia Bullain MD, Maria Corrada ScD, Shawna Perry MS, and Claudia Kawas MD.  Dr. Bullain will be discussing the article and its findings on Doctor Radio, SiriusXM channel 110 from 2:00-2:30pm PT Monday, July 25.  Don't miss this exciting update! Don't have a subscription to SiriusXM?  Sign up for a free 30-day online pass  and listen online. The show will also be posted here ~48 hours after the show. Read the full paper here.  

Nell Redmond, AP July 20, 2016 USA Today "Nearly 45 years after his last Cup race, Lorenzen hoped he would still make his mark on the NASCAR community. Inspired by Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s decision to pledge his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, Lorenzen became the second known driver to make the same decision."        

July 19, 2016 MariaShriver.com UCI MIND Co-Director Dr. Joshua Grill and A4 Study Project Leader Dr. Reisa Sperling work to understand the heavy burden Alzheimer's disease places on women-- and what women can do to help today.    

July 18, 2016 Alzforum The Senate Committee drafted a bill with a $400 million hike in AD research funding last month.  The House crafted their version of the bill last Friday.  See how their proposal stacks up.

UCI MIND & Alzheimer's Orange County are excited to announce the 27th Annual Southern California Alzheimer's Disease Research Conference!  Nationally-renowned experts will address the latest advances in Alzheimer’s and dementia research across unique populations, such as victims of head trauma and people living with Down syndrome.  Join over 400 community members, clinicians, researchers, students, service providers, and caregivers on September 30, 2016 at the Irvine Marriott Hotel. Continuing education credits and discounted student rates are available.  Register online today!

  July 13, 2016 HealthCanal Read about Professor David Cribbs' global partnership in developing anti-amyloid-beta & anti-tau vaccines with "promise for both preventive & therapeutic approaches in AD." more>

"Dear Dr. Grill, My Mom is interested in taking part in a “transparent” preclinical trial on Alzheimer’s disease. As part of the study, she would undergo Positron Emission Tomography, also called a PET scan. Because this is a transparent study, I understand she’ll receive the results of this PET scan. What kind of support should I seek for my Mom if the results show she has amyloid in her brain, a biomarker for Alzheimer’s? Are transparent studies becoming more common for Alzheimer’s disease?" Read Dr. Grill's response here>

"Dear Dr. Grill, My Mom is interested in taking part in a “transparent” preclinical trial on Alzheimer’s disease. As part of the study, she would undergo Positron Emission Tomography, also called a PET scan. Because this is a transparent study, I understand she’ll receive the results of this PET scan. What kind of support should I seek for my Mom if the results show she has amyloid in her brain, a biomarker for Alzheimer’s? Are transparent studies becoming more common for Alzheimer’s disease?" Read Dr. Grill's response here>

Washington Post "I believe that Pat died to demonstrate that the day in, day out way we treat people with cognitive decline has to get better. You’d like to think that Pat got the kind of generous, sensitive care that she gave to others. But the fact is, she didn’t always, for the simple reason that not enough of that care exists. We can do something about that."   more>

Photo: Mel Evans, AP USA Today June 28, 2016 "About 200,000 Americans suffer from early onset Alzheimer's disease, the condition that took the life Tuesday of legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt at age 64. She was diagnosed with the illness five years ago..."  more>  

By Courtney Perks The Orange County Register May 24, 2016 "When Ruth Russi was born with Down syndrome in 1959, her parents were told she would die before her fifth birthday. By the time Ruth turned 50, John and June Russi of Costa Mesa began to prepare for her outliving them." more >

Congratulations to The 90+ Study team on receiving the 2016 Robert Newcomb Interdisciplinary Team Science Award from the UCI Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS).  This award was established to highlight and honor individuals who have played a formative role in bringing together teams of researchers from diverse, trans-, multi-, and interdisciplinary backgrounds in studies and projects that have advanced biomedical and clinical research. Click here to learn more about The 90+ Study.

Public Policy Advisor Thursday, April 28, 2016 "Are you 65 years old?  If so, your risk of getting Alzheimer’s is 1 in 20.  70 years old – 1 in 10.  At 75 years, it narrows to 1 in 5.  Frightening – you bet! The extent of this devastating disease is monumental. Alzheimer’s is the 6thleading cause of death in the nation and the only killer in the top 10 with no disease-modifying drugs nor cure." read more >

Bill Edwards, UCI MIND Leadership Council member and Alzheimer's disease advocate, shares his family's story with UC Irvine Health: Nancy Edwards never met a stranger. “To her, you were a friend she hadn’t made yet,” her daughter Heather remembers. When her personality began to change in 2003, however, the family became concerned. “Her personality got very argumentative. We didn’t know what was going on.” Read more

Premiers Wednesday, April 13 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) Alzheimer’s disease strikes at the core of what makes us human: our capacity to think, to love, and to remember. The disease ravages the minds of over 40 million victims worldwide, and it is one of the greatest medical mysteries of our time. Join investigators as they gather clues and attempt to reconstruct the molecular chain of events that ultimately leads to dementia, and follow key researchers in the field who have helped to develop the leading theories of the disease. Along the way, meet individuals from all walks…

UCI MIND Leadership Council member, Bill Edwards, travels the world opening doors and helping businesses expand and thrive. Read more about Bill's accomplishments here.

Join us next month for our annual Barclay Lecture Series featuring Dr. Laura D. Baker, Associate Professor of Geriatric Medicine, Neurology, and Public Health at Wake Forest School of Medicine. Over the past 10 years, Dr. Baker has studied the effects of aerobic exercise on cognition and Alzheimer's disease progression, and she visits the Irvine Barclay Theatre on April 19th to deliver an exciting presentation titled, "Exercise for the Brain: Is it Worth the Sweat?" This lecture is free to the community and no reservations are required. For more information, contact Chelsea Cox, Education Coordinator, at (949) 824-9896.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Frances Saldana: franceshdcare@gmail.com or (714) 593-6205

Dr. Alon Avidan, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at UCLA, would like to invite clinicians and health care providers to attend the 9th Annual UCLA Sleep CME Course, "State-of-the-Art in Sleep Medicine."  The course will take place on Saturday, December 5, 2015, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Neuroscience Research Building Auditorium (NRB) on UCLA's campus. For more information and to register, click here. Course Description Physicians in all areas of medicine encounter patients who complain of disturbed sleep. The purpose of this course, the 9th in its series, is to provide clinicians with…

Study at UC Irvine to see if exercise can slow down Alzheimer's disease ABC7 - October 3, 2015 "We find that exercise promotes healthy brain aging and improves a person's cognitive function, and basically really makes the people feel better," said Dr. Carl Cotman with UC Irvine. … Cotman will begin recruiting 300 people to take part in the one-year study at UC Irvine. "We'll be looking at generally sedentary people that are willing to commit to that program that are basically 75 and older," said Cotman. full story >

Orange County Register - September 9, 2015 Dr. Howard Federoff made international news last year after he led a team of researchers in designing a blood test that predicted the development of Alzheimer's disease with 90 percent accuracy. Federoff, 62, who was at Georgetown University at the time, plans to conduct the next phase of study from UC Irvine, where he recently started as vice chancellor of health affairs and dean of the medical school. full article >

2015 Family Education Series Topic: Advances in Dementia Treatment: Current and Future Medications   Time: Tuesday, June 9, 4:30 - 6:30 pm  Location: University Club on the University of California, Irvine Campus, 801 University Club, Irvine, CA 92697-5625 Limited Seating Available • Reservations Are Required  Register online at: http://familyedseries.eventbrite.com You may also RSVP at (949) 824-2382, press option 4, and leave a message.

UCI MIND in partnership with the Center for Neurobiology of Learning & Memory is proud to host the 20th UC Irvine Distinguished Lecture Series on Brain, Learning and Memory Epigenetics: The Making and Unmaking of Powerful Memories Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 7:30PM Presented by University of California, Irvine professor, Marcelo Wood Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, UCI School of Biological Sciences. The event is free to the public. No tickets or reservations are needed. Parking in the adjacent structure is $10.00. See information below for further details.  

Ashley Campbell, daughter of singer Glen Campbell, who has Alzheimer's disease became tearful as she testified before Congress, urging increased support for research. "I think a person's life is comprised of memories, and that's exactly what Alzheimer's disease takes away from you," noted Ashley.  "Now when I play banjo with my dad, it's getting harder for him to follow along and it's getting harder for him to recall my name.  It's hard to come to the realization that someday my dad might look at me and I will be absolutely nothing to him."     To read the testimony of…

Enjoy a thought-provoking presentation by Dr. Adam Grazzaley, Associate Professor of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry at UCSF, who spoke recently at the 19th Annual Distinguished Lecture Series on Brain, Learning and Memory.  Click here to access the presentation.

To register for this event, CLICK HERE It's time to join us for the Time of Your Life! Saturday, June 22, 2013, 5:30-11:00 pm at The Hangar at the Orange County Fairgrounds! Tickets $250 per person. Learn what we have in store for you! Go to www.ucimindtimeofyourlife.org Toast your favorite holidays. Once you enter The Hangar, you will experience "virtual" celebrations of: Valentine’s Day Fall’s Halloween and Thanksgiving Winter Holidays at the Lodge And a Happy New Year’s Eve Countdown in the Big Apple. Guests will be surrounded by each holiday experience created by our generous partner, Elite OC Productions.  Last year, they took us back to the 1960s.  This year, we…

Assemblyman Donald Wagner (L) and Mayor Al Murray (R) of Tustin listen to participants at a Town Hall hosted by the Orange County Aging Services Collaborative on Friday, April 12. Participants engaged in a lively discussion about various transportation options and challenges for seniors. Attendees learned how to better utilize local transportation options and voiced their concerns to transportation leaders in Orange County. Join the dialogue at the OCASC's next town hall forum, Living Through Your Silver Tsunami: Hot Topics in Senior Nutrition on May 10 at the Rodgers Senior Center in Huntington Beach. For more information visit: www.ocagingservicescollaborative.org.

Sunday, April 28, 9:30 AM You are invited to join us aboard the private 88' yacht, "The Last Hurrah," for the CRUISE TO REMEMBER Alzheimer's benefit event hosted by Betty's Foundation. This four-hour harbor cruise includes a continental breakfast, lunch, and beverages (coffee, water, soda, beer, and wine). Enjoy the sun and sights aboard this luxury yacht.  Passengers will also have an opportunity to participate in a silent auction.  For more information and photos of the yacht go to www.cruisetoremember.org. View from the upper deck of The Last Harrah   A donation of $75 per passenger is suggested and appreciated. …

To learn more about HD CARE and co-founder, Frances Saldaña, click here.

A series of Town Halls hosted by the Orange County Aging Services Collaborative (OCASC) will address three major issues facing seniors: Transportation, Housing, and Nutrition.  Make a difference in the lives of Orange County seniors by joining the dialogue at these Town Halls and providing the input we need to improve availability of and access to senior friendly transportation, affordable housing options, and basic nutrition. Each of these Town Halls will feature expert speakers on the topic and allow for audience feedback during an interactive panel.  Input received via this public forum and a survey will be shared with local…

  To learn more about how you can reduce your 2013 taxes with an IRA gift, click here.

UCI MIND releases a new video in which Dr. Aimee Pierce, Medical Director of the Institute's Memory Assessment and Research Center, and her fellow researchers and clinicians talk about their latest efforts to advance research in Alzheimer's disease.  

According to the recently released 2012 World Alzheimer's Report, stigma negatively effects people with dementia across the world, resulting in loss of friends and social exclusion.

Dr. Frank LaFerla, Director of UCI MIND, facilitates "Ask the Doc" panel of expert speakers who address audience questions about the behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The 20th Southern California Alzheimer's Disease Research Conference, held on World Alzheimer's Day, September 21, 2012, is now available for viewing online.  Addressing the topic, Beyond Memory: The Behavioral and Psychiatric Symptoms of Dementia, the conference featured internationally known researchers and expert clinicians who discussed non-cognitive symptoms - ranging from apathy and depression to hallucinations and agitation - and their treatment in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.  Led by…

Just published Online First by Archives of Neurology, a study led by Szofia Bullain, M.D., a Fellow in Geriatric Neurology at UCI MIND and a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Neurology, has shown that difficulty performing activities like walking at age 90 and older greatly increases the odds of having dementia. Dr. Szofia Bullain, Lead Author Using a cross-sectional design, Bullain and her colleagues found that the oldest old who performed poorly on measures of walking, rising from a chair, standing balance and grip strength were more likely to have dementia than their more able peers.  Odds of developing…

Kawas honored as Visionary Woman by Alzheimer’s Association of OC Dr. Claudia Kawas, the Al and Trish Nichols Chair in Clinical Neuroscience and professor of neurology and neurobiology & behavior at UC Irvine, was honored for her clinical contributions to Alzheimer’s disease research and care by the Orange County Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Along with seven other recipients, Kawas was recognized as a 2012 Visionary Woman during a Sept. 28 reception at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel. Each year, the Visionary Women Circle of the Alzheimer’s Association honors Orange County caregivers who display extraordinary compassion in caring for those…