Contributed by Ashley A. Keiser, PhD A new study from researchers in Sweden published in Brain finds faster accumulation of a major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, neurofibrillary protein aggregates containing tau in female, compared with male brains. Researchers also found greater memory impairments in women with Alzheimer’s disease. Sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease risk have been extensively reported. Particularly, women exhibit greater cognitive impairment and the rate of acceleration of impairment is observed to exceed men. Women are also twice as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Although previous cross-sectional studies that capture a single data point in time…
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UCI School of Medicine Tahseen Mozaffar, MD, a professor of neurology and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Disorders and the UCI-MDA ALS and Neuromuscular Center at UCI's School of Medicine will lead a study on sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM), which affects aging adults causing asymmetric muscle weakness and severe disability. Currently untreatable, sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) causes muscle weakness and severe disability Irvine, CA – April 6, 2021 – The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has awarded UCI a 5-year, $4.2 million grant to study sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM), which affects aging adults…
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Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium – Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) Award By the time they’re 40, most people with Down syndrome develop beta amyloid plaques in the brain — a key characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists believe this is because they have an extra copy of chromosome 21, which carries an amyloid-producing gene. Many people with Down syndrome do develop Alzheimer’s disease, but some manage to avoid the devastating neurodegenerative consequences despite having these plaques in their brains. To learn more about the connection between Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease, UCI School of Medicine researchers are spearheading a major international research effort that…
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Carol Robertson, 105, of St. Paul, gets her COVID-19 vaccine on Feb. 4 at a HealthPartners Clinic in Woodbury, Minn. She shows a photo on a phone of herself at a younger age. Courtesy of HealthPartners file On Monday, MPR News host Kerri Miller talked to two researchers, including UCI MIND investigator Claudia Kawas, MD, about what they’re learning about living to be 100. Do you have to win the genetic lottery to live an entire century? Or could research unlock the secret to living longer and living longer well? Listen here >
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Contributed by Orange County Aging Services Collaborative It is important that our most vulnerable community members have access to COVID-19 vaccination appointments. The Abrazar team can assist clients with scheduling an appointment. If needed, transportation can also be scheduled. Please note that the age eligibility is now 50+ (see below for other eligible community members). VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Call Abrazar’s COVID-19 Vaccination Call Center at (714) 278-4670. All questions can be sent to covidinfo@abrazarinc.com Call Center Team Members are bilingual and speak English, Spanish and Vietnamese. Referrals for other languages can be made. Case managers and family members can call…
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UC Irvine’s very own Carol Choi has been named among the 74th Assembly District 2021 Women of Distinction by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris. The annual recognition occurs each March in honor of Women’s History Month to recognize women “who have shown extraordinary work, mentorship and leadership.” For those who are privileged to know and work with Carol Choi, this honor comes as no surprise. Carol embodies leadership through service on several committees at UC Irvine, including as a University Trustee. Additionally, Carol serves as Board Chair of the Korean American Alumni Chapter of the Alumni Association whose Founding President, Alexander Kim,…
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Last week, UCI MIND’s trainee-led organization REMIND hosted their 12th Annual Emerging Scientists Symposium. The event was hosted virtually on Zoom for the first time and featured six trainee presentations: Sepideh Kiani Shabestari in Dr. Blurton-Jones' lab, Emily Miyoshi in Dr. Swarup's lab, Michael Neel in Dr. Monuki's lab, Dr. Christian Crouzet in Dr. Choi's lab, Dr. Angela Gomez in Dr. Tenner's lab, and Dr. Atena Zahedi in Dr. Anderson's lab. Presentations were followed by a trainee poster competition with innovative research projects on Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders and a keynote lecture from Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray from Stanford…
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The UCI professor has dedicated her career to finding answers to a rare genetic disease’s most crucial questions. An estimated 30,000 genes make up the human genome, with an individual’s entire uniqueness created by genetic mutations. From tissues and blood as well as distinctive physical features, like eye and hair color to temperament and so much more, genes are the coded instructions for building an entire person. But sometimes those instructions contain errors and genes can mutate to form many different things, including diseases. One such disease, Huntington’s disease, is a rare, inherited disease triggered by a single genetic mutation…
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UCI MIND Director Dr. Josh Grill takes some deep dives into promising findings in clinical trials for medications treating Alzheimer's disease. Listen to the latest episode of KUCI's podcast, Ask A Leader here >
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Contributed by the Women's Alzheimer's Movement At a campaign stop last fall, then VP, now President Joe Biden said, “If we do not find an answer to Alzheimer’s, then in the next 19 years, every single solitary bed that exists in the United States of America now will be occupied by an Alzheimer’s patient.” The time to act is now, and we are ready!
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Message from the Director Happy New Year, Friends of UCI MIND! For many of us, a New Year brings the promise of fresh starts and new beginnings. In 2021, it also means a welcomed good-bye to a very long 2020. Despite the challenges that 2020 brought, it also brought progress that must now continue in 2021. This includes progress in social justice, progress in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and progress in research to rid the world of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. UCI MIND is committed to contributing to further progress in each of these areas. Though the COVID-19 pandemic…
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UC Irvine’s Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders raised some $300,000 at its A December to Remember Gala on Dec. 5, 2020. The event took place virtually for the very first time, reaching over 850 viewers on multiple online channels including Facebook, Youtube and the UCI MIND website. A recording of the event is available to view on UCI MIND’s YouTube page. The online broadcast, co-hosted by UCI MIND Director Joshua Grill and auctioneer Zack Krone, included performances from Justin Willman, the star and creator of the hit Netflix series “Magic for Humans,” and Ashley Campbell, singer-songwriter and daughter of…
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Thomas Peipert/Associated Press A new study led by researchers at Case Western Reserve University who analyzed millions of medical records in the U.S. found that people with dementia had significantly greater risk of contracting the coronavirus, and they were much more likely to be hospitalized and die from it, compared to people without dementia. The findings highlight the need to prioritize and protect people with dementia as part of the strategy to control the pandemic.
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Join UCI School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on Thursday, February 11th for a community information session with their Scientists & Pharmacists to learn the basics about COVID-19 Vaccines and what to expect as they become more widely available. Registration links below! Can't make it on February 11th? Join them on March 1st for an encore presentation. February 11th Registration: https://bit.ly/2M6YQFc March 1st Registration: https://bit.ly/3pt8sIt
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https://youtu.be/t2yVzkGsWV0 UCI MIND Clinical Research Director David Sultzer, MD was featured on CBS2/KCAL9 to discuss Tony Bennett's recent Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and how music and memory are intertwined. Watch the video above or learn more at KCAL9. News coverage: CBS Los Angeles YouTube CBS Los Angeles OneNewsPage.us
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For four years, the legendary singer and his family have kept his secret. Now, they're breaking their silence On an afternoon in early November, I arrived at Tony Bennett's home on the 15th floor of a high-rise on the southern edge of New York City's Central Park. The sprawling three-bedroom apartment's wall of windows opens on a heart-stopping view of the park and floods the rooms with a steady north light — “a painter's dream,” as Bennett once said — which matters, because as well as being one of the world's greatest singers, he is also a serious visual artist.…
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(AP Photo/Jens Meyer) How much medical care would you want if you had Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia? A dementia-focused advance directive developed by experts in neurology, geriatrics, and palliative care, allows people to plan ahead and communicate their wishes if they were to develop dementia, stage by stage. Standard advance directives (also known as living wills) do not typically cover dementia, and families are faced with difficult medical decisions for their loved ones. A dementia directive can help people make medical choices for themselves in advance, guiding family members and healthcare providers to take actions that reflect those…
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ENGLISH | VIETNAMESE (Tiếng Việt) Contributed by Hye-Won Shin, PhD Four executive orders signed by President Biden Tuesday, January 26, 2021 aim at promoting racial equity in the US. One specifically pinpointed fighting xenophobia against Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Hye-Won Shin, PhD, Director of Asian American Outreach at UCI MIND Misinformation and stigmatization related to the COVID-19 pandemic provoked a surge in anti-Asian xenophobia. Thousands of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have reported the pandemic-fueled hate crimes and physical attacks throughout the United States. These physical, social, and emotional challenges can cause profound damage to Asian Americans…
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The new hospital will join the previously approved UCI Health Center for Advanced Care to create UCI Medical Center Irvine-Newport, a full-service academic health complex that will bring a broad spectrum of sophisticated healthcare services to coastal and southern Orange County. Credit: UCI Contributed by UCI Health: Plans to build a world-class, acute care hospital on the northern edge of the University of California, Irvine academic campus advanced significantly last week, as the University of California Board of Regents granted approval of the project’s 144-bed acute care facility, ambulatory care center and cancer center. The hospital will focus on key…
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KABC - Jan. 15, 2021 (Video) Scientists at UC Irvine are developing a vaccine designed to prevent future coronavirus outbreaks. …UCI professor Lbachir BenMohamed, Ph.D. said it's not a matter of if another coronavirus will emerge, but when. …BenMohamed and his team at the UCI School of Medicine are working on a pre-emptive strike -- a universal vaccine that can protect against all forms of the coronavirus. … Early trials have produced promising results. Click here to watch the full video and learn more >
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State and county health officials have authorized COVID-19 vaccinations for anyone age 65+. Eligible people who live or work in Orange County can register online through www.Othena.com to view appointment times and track vaccine availability. Or consult your healthcare provider. UCI strongly recommends the vaccine as a safe and effective way to protect yourself and others. County vaccinations are by appointment only.
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We are excited to announce that Governor Newsom along with many partners, including the California Department of Aging, has released the California Master Plan for Aging earlier this week. Irvine Health Foundation has been participating in the Master Plan along with other foundation partners. Please check out the California Master Plan on Aging and share this plan through your platforms using the hashtag #MasterPlanForAging California Master Plan on Aging: https://mpa.aging.ca.gov
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Happy New Year! UCI MIND is excited to announce the launch of its new virtual education hub, UCI MINDcast. Each week, you can expect new video or podcast content on Alzheimer’s and dementia research, education, and care. Stay tuned on social media and www.mind.uci.edu/mindcast for the latest content. This week, UCI MIND Director and Alzheimer’s researcher, Dr. Joshua Grill, provides insight for our first TRUTH or MYTH: All people with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease. View the video to learn more!
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UCI Health is home to 174 doctors honored as 2021 Physicians of Excellence by the Orange County Medical Association, more than any other health system in Orange County. Congratulations to UCI MIND faculty members, Gaby Thai, Mark Fisher, Virginia Kimonis, and Tahseen Mozaffar on this honor.
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"As part of HFC's Science Advisory Board, I will continue our great work in pairing students and faculty to research brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Excited for all that is to come from the partnership between HFC and UCI MIND!” - Joshua Grill, Director of UCI MIND To read more about our new program, in partnership with the nonprofit HFC led by Lauren & Seth Rogen, community philanthropist Dr. Loran Carlin, and the UCI School of Medicine, click here >
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A recent report from Stanford identified the top 2% of the world's scientists based on their publications and citations. Out of millions of published scientists, including those who have passed away, a total of 445 from UCI, including Vice Chancellor for Research Pramod Khargonekar, and 18 UCI MIND faculty made the cut. We congratulate our faculty members, listed below, on this significant achievement: Neurology & Neurosurgery: Tallie Z. Baram, MD, PhD Ruth Benca, MD, PhD Emiliana Borrelli, PhD Gregory J. Brewer, PhD Carl W. Cotman, PhD David Cribbs, PhD Mark J. Fisher, MD Christine Gall, PhD Charles Glabe, PhD Alan…
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Contributed by Hal S. Stern, PhD and Frank M. LaFerla, PhD It is our pleasure to congratulate Charles Glabe, Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, on being named a 2020 fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Among his achievements, Professor Glabe is being recognized for the creation of antibodies that bind to the four kinds of proteins forming the amyloid associated with Alzheimer's disease. The process enables scientists to detect individual forms of the disease more precisely. The antibodies can be used as a screening tool and could help develop immunotherapies that slow or even prevent Alzheimer's. Professor…
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Tomorrow A December to Remember Gala, presented by UCI MIND and the Harris Taylor Family, is tomorrow! We look forward to an evening of music, magic, and memories for Alzheimer's research. Pre-Show at 5:30 PM PST Live Program at 6:00 - 7:00 PM PST Three Viewing Options: YouTube Live (watch on your Smart TV) Facebook Live (interact with other viewers) Gala Website (quick access to auction items) Live Stream Link Silent Auction The gala auction is now live and closes Monday, December 7 at 12:00 PM PST. Two Ways to Bid: Visit mind.uci.edu/bid Text MIND to 61094 View Auction Presenting Sponsor Harris…
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Getty Images MarketWatch - Nov. 30, 2020 The University of California, Irvine’s Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) has studied elderly individuals as part of its “90+ Study” since 2003, analyzing the ways in which nearly 2,000 participants go about their lives in their 90s and 100s, as well as what may have contributed to that longevity and underlying cognitive disabilities they may or may not know they have. … Half of children born this decade can expect to see their 103rd or 104th birthday, Claudia Kawas, co-principal investigator of The 90+ Study, told CBS. Read more >
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Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium – Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) Award The University of California, Irvine is undertaking a five-year, multi-million dollar project to expand research on Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome. The National Institute of Health awarded a $109 million grant to the Alzheimer’s Biomarkers Consortium-Down Syndrome in late October. The international team, led by UCI principal investigators Elizabeth Head and Mark Mapstone, aims to identify biomarkers that indicate the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in adults with Down syndrome. Subscribers to the Orange County Business Journal can read more here >
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Dear friends of UCI MIND, Last week, Maria Shriver and the Governor's Task Force on Alzheimer's Prevention and Preparedness presented a report describing their 10 recommendations to Governor Gavin Newsom. Click here to view the report. The Governor was extremely receptive to the recommendations. We anticipate movement in the coming months to years on these important initiatives to improve the lives of Californians living with dementia and their families and to increase Alzheimer’s awareness, risk reduction education, and research. We would like to thank the many UCI MIND stakeholders who participated in the Task Force listening session as part of…
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Will Biogen’s aducanumab become the first drug approved to slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease? UCI MIND faculty member and chair of UCI Statistics, Dr. Daniel Gillen, and other experts comment on ALZFORUM.
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CBS: Six years after our initial report, Lesley Stahl visits surviving members of the 90+ Study and finds out what scientists have learned from following the study's participants. We're a nation living longer and longer. Over the next 30 years, the number of Americans age 90 and above is expected to triple, and an NIH-funded research study called 90+ at the University of California Irvine is trying to learn all it can right now from a group of men and women who've already managed to get there. Six years ago, we first reported on their first set of findings. Factors…
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The 90+ Study, co-led by UCI MIND faculty members Drs. Claudia Kawas and Maria Corrada, will be featured in the show “60 Minutes” this Sunday, November 22 on CBS. The episode will be a follow-up of the study participants who were featured on the show six years ago and an update on research findings since then. Learn more about the feature in the articles below: Lesley Stahl follows up with nonagenarians from landmark study on aging Is there a secret to living well into your 90s?
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Contributed by UCI News: UCI’s Center for Neural Circuit Mapping is redrawing our understanding of mechanisms underlying several common disorders by Ian Anzlowar, UCI | November 18, 2020 “Our goal is to reveal the molecular changes that occur during the course of Alzheimer’s, impacting learning and memory, and identify a route toward early detection and new drug therapies for the disease,” says Xiangmin Xu, director of UCI’s Center for Neural Circuit Mapping. Steve Zylius / UCI Thanks to Xiangmin Xu and his team at the UCI School of Medicine’s Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, lazy eye, Alzheimer’s and other neurological…
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UCI Consent-to-Contact (C2C) Registry In 2016, UCI MIND launched a local recruitment registry – the UCI Consent-to-Contact (C2C) Registry – to raise awareness of research participation opportunities at UCI (c2c.uci.edu). We are excited to announce that this fall, the UCI C2C went live in Spanish, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese to allow more people to access this online tool. Together with our diverse community, we will improve our understanding of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in diverse populations and find solutions for people of all backgrounds. To learn more about enrolling in C2C, visit c2c.uci.edu > To read more in our latest newsletter, click here…
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Message from the Director Dear Friends of UCI MIND, As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our lives this fall, the fight to solve Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) must charge forward. This November, the U.S. FDA will convene an advisory committee to assess potential approval of Biogen’s aducanumab, a monoclonal antibody in development for treatment of early AD. We will watch closely as aducanumab could be the first new approved drug for AD since 2005. Regardless of the outcome of the meeting and subsequent FDA decision – anticipated in March 2021 – this represents a milestone for…
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Many of us listened intently today as the US Food and Drug Administration convened a panel of expert members of an advisory committee to review the submitted materials for potential approval of Biogen’s candidate treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease, aducanumab. The meeting was notable on many levels. Advocates made clear and compelling demonstrations of why new therapies are so desperately needed for this disease. The experts, however, were equally clear that the available data from a still limited number of studies, only one of which was actually positive, do not meet the current standards for drug approval in the United…
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The FDA will today convene an advisory committee to review and discuss the application submitted by Biogen Inc. for aducanumab for the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease. Though mixed opinions remain about whether the FDA should approve aducanumab at this time, the submission of a new treatment entity for Alzheimer’s disease is nonetheless good news and an important milestone. It has been nearly two decades since a new drug was approved for Alzheimer’s disease and no approved drug can effectively slow or stop the debilitating progression of this fatal neurodegenerative disease. Regardless of the outcome of this specific submission, we…
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Harriet Harris (second row center) and her family after receiving the UCI MIND Award at the 2019 “A December To Remember” gala event For the first time in the event’s decade-long history, the University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND)’s A December to Remember gala will raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research in a digital setting. While many sectors remain at a standstill due to the pandemic, nonprofits like UCI MIND know that their mission must march forward. The virtual gala event will take place online on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 5:30-7 p.m.,…
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“Our findings suggest that older individuals experiencing cognitive decline have relatively stable ideological preferences, but these preferences lose their connection to political policy details. Future studies conducted during an election year may shed additional light on how this group of Americans is casting their ballot,” said UCI MIND faculty member Mark Fisher, MD. Study participants were 190 members of The 90+ Study (LINK), a UCI-led longitudinal investigation of the oldest-old, who are those aged 90 and older.
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Charles Limoli FLASH radiation therapy, also called FLASH-RT, can eliminate the debilitating side effects associated with traditional radiation therapy by delivering the same dose in tenths of seconds, and can remove tumors, according to a study published in Clinical Cancer Research. … Charles Limoli, PhD, a researcher and professor of radiation oncology at University of California Irvine It's not unreasonable to expect that in 10 years, this may become a widespread option for radiotherapy patients worldwide."
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Amanda McQuade, graduate student in Mathew Blurton-Jones’ lab at UCI MIND, discusses findings from their new study using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), donated from participants at the UCI Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and CRISPR gene editing to improve understanding of the role of immunity in Alzheimer’s disease. Click below to view the video, and access the publication at this link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19227-5 Amanda McQuade, MS Amanda McQuade is a graduate student in the department of Neurobiology and Behavior working with Dr. Mathew Blurton-Jones. Her graduate work focuses on using CRISPR to study risk mutations for Alzheimer’s disease in human…
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The actual number of deaths linked to dementia may be about three times greater than what is reported on U.S. death certificates, according to a recent NIA-supported study. The findings were published online August 24, 2020, in JAMA Neurology. Previous studies have established that doctors and medical examiners may be underreporting Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as an underlying cause of death on death certificates. To investigate whether the impact from the underreporting was substantial, a research team led by investigators at Boston University compared dementia-related deaths determined by a nationally representative study to what is reported on death certificates.…
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UC San Francisco, UC Davis, UC Irvine, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA), International Children Assistance Network (ICAN) in partnership with over twenty community partners serving diverse Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) communities in California and nationwide, is pleased to announce the launch of the Collaborative Approach for AAPI Research and Education (CARE) research registry. The CARE registry team reflect multiple diverse AAPI cultures and languages. CARE is an opportunity for AAPI to participate in important research that may affect ourselves, our parents, children and grandchildren. Some of the important research may contribute to finding cures for and/or ways to…
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Congratulations to UCI MIND investigators, Drs. Elizabeth Head and Mark Mapstone, on earning a 5-year $100 million grant to study biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome. The Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium – Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) evolved from the longstanding contributions of Dr. Ira Lott and Eric Doran who had the insight to include older people with Down syndrome in Alzheimer’s disease research. People with Down syndrome are at very high risk for Alzheimer disease as their extra copy of chromosome 21 leads to accelerated amyloid buildup with aging. The new grant will help researchers improve understanding of the unique disease progression…
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Alzheimer syndrom screening.The presentation is made by me based on real scientific knowledge in the public domain. (3-minute listen) After cases began emerging worldwide, thousands of clinical trials unrelated to COVID-19 were paused or canceled amid fears that participants would be infected. But now, some researchers are finding ways to carry on in spite of the coronavirus. "It's been a struggle of course," says Joshua Grill, who directs the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders at the University of California, Irvine. "But I think there's an imperative for us to find ways to move forward."
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Congratulations to Maria Shriver for being selected as Variety's Entertainment Philanthropist of the Year for her trailblazing Alzheimer’s advocacy! Maria Shriver UCI MIND is honored to partner with Shriver and her organization, the Women's Alzheimer's Movement (WAM), to unravel why 2 out of every 3 people with Alzheimer’s are women. Thanks to Shriver and other local philanthropists, the UCI MIND-WAM Women’s Initiative has now awarded $400,000 to UCI scientists for sex and gender disparities research. Variety: “So much of my work is about awareness, prevention, funding of research and trying to educate people about something they think they don’t have…
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"We'll likely continue to see a surge of cases in the fall and over the holidays," says Karen Edwards, a professor and epidemiologist at the University of California, Irvine. "If you must travel, be sure to follow all recommendations, including checking with destinations and events you plan to attend to be sure that travel to that destination or event is still possible. Cancel your trip if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 or concerns about risk of infection."
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