Message from the Director
Dear Friends of UCI MIND,
UCI MIND has embarked upon an exciting new chapter, made possible by the support of our local community. The Quilter Family— Ann and Charlie, Chris, Matt and Patty, and Patrick—have made the largest donation in the history of the Institute. This gift is not only transformative, it is constructional. The Quilters’ generosity was quickly followed by similarly remarkable demonstrations of support from other UCI MIND community members, including Harriet Harris, the Brethren Community Foundation, Laura Khouri and Michael Hayde, and Keith Swayne. The UCI School of Medicine is also a key partner and backer in a plan that is now under way to build Ann Hutchinson Quilter Hall. This will be the new home to UCI MIND and a beacon of hope for Orange County and beyond that UCI’s best and brightest are working tirelessly to tackle the most important medical challenges society faces today. In the coming months and years, we’ll share progress on this incredible opportunity that our community of advocates has created for UCI MIND to accelerate and amplify its mission.
Joshua D. Grill, PhD
Director, UCI MIND
On Saturday, December 6th, 2025, approximately 200 of our closest friends, faculty, staff, and trainees gathered at the elegant Balboa Bay Club for UCI MIND’s annual December to Remember Gala—an evening that will be remembered for years to come. With Zack Krone once again serving as the lively emcee, guests were treated to exceptional entertainment throughout the night, including rocking performances by The Surftones and the inspiring and beautiful harmonies of the UCI Voces Chamber Ensemble, conducted by professor and UCI MIND faculty member, Dr. Irene Messoloras. The purpose of the evening was to recognize the leadership and generosity of the Quilter family— Ann and Charlie, Chris, Matt and Patty, and Patrick. In 2025, the Quilters made a $50 million gift to UCI MIND, representing the most significant financial contribution in our history.
Quilter family at Christmas tree
In a momentous announcement, it was revealed that the Quilter family’s generous donation was the lead gift in a campaign to construct a new state-of-the-art research facility for UCI MIND on the UC Irvine campus. The new facility will enhance collaboration, spur innovation, and amplify the vital work being done at UCI to advance dementia research and care. The new home for UCI MIND will be named Ann Hutchinson Quilter Hall, after the incredible advocate who has supported UCI MIND for more than a decade and who initiated the first piece of what would become a massive family gift. The spirit of philanthropy resonated throughout the evening, as Zack Krone led an exciting auction featuring exclusive trip packages, two coveted dinners at Nirvana by Chef Lindsay in Laguna Beach, and a Fund-a-Need opportunity.
UCI MIND’S COMMUNITY OF SUPPORTERS STEP UP
The Quilter family’s gift, while remarkable on its own, also catalyzed major additional support necessary to see the vision of a new building become reality. Guests at the gala learned that due to the incredible generosity of Michael Hayde and Laura Khouri, Harriet Harris, The Brethren Community Foundation, and Keith Swayne, who all made 7-figure commitments, the building campaign has reached an astounding $80 million. We are deeply grateful for these visionary supporters whose commitment will shape the future of UCI MIND for generations to come. Thank you to all who attended and supported the December to Remember Gala. Your generosity and commitment continue to drive UCI MIND’s groundbreaking work forward. As UCI MIND reflects on a remarkable year and looks ahead to the future, we are filled with gratitude for our incredible community of supporters who make our mission possible. Together, we are building something truly extraordinary. Thank you!
The NIH Director Visits UC Irvine
On January 14th, NIH director Jayanta Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, visited UC Irvine to learn about the translational research being done on our campus. UCI MIND faculty member and Professor and Chair in the department of statistics, Daniel Gillen, PhD, was invited to give a talk on Recognizing and Overcoming Problems with Real World Data as part of a symposium in which Dr. Bhattacharya was the keynote speaker. Professor and UCI MIND Director, Joshua Grill, PhD, was invited to meet with the NIH director and present the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the extraordinary work being done at UCI MIND. To conclude the visit, several talented trainees, including MD/PhD student in Dr. Craig Stark’s Lab, Casey Vanderlip, had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Bhattacharya and describe their research.
Joshua Grill, PhD
Can We Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease? What the Science Says – Valerie Tung
At the Alzheimer’s Orange County Brain Health Conference on January 23, Dr. Joshua Grill delivered a presentation titled “Can We Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?” He opened with an important reminder: age remains the greatest risk factor for dementia, and as the population grows older, the number of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias will continue to rise.
LIFESTYLE RISK FACTORS: WHAT WE CAN DO NOW
Dr. Grill’s talk focused on the available evidence for protecting brain health across the lifespan. Many risk reduction strategies overlap with overall heart and vascular health and include behaviors such as staying physically active, eating a brain-healthy diet, managing blood pressure and cholesterol, avoiding smoking, maintaining social connection, and practicing good sleep hygiene. Dr. Grill emphasized that these recommendations should be freely available to the public and do not require expensive programs or paid subscriptions. At the same time, he noted that while research findings are promising, no study has definitively proven that any single or combination lifestyle intervention can prevent dementia; underscoring the need for continued prevention focused clinical trials.
PSEUDOMEDICINE AND SUPPLEMENTS
Dr. Grill also addressed the growing “brain health” marketplace, warning that many products promoted directly to consumers make claims that are not backed by high-quality evidence. He stressed two key points: there is no FDA-approved drug to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and there is no evidence that dietary supplements can reduce Alzheimer’s risk, let alone prevent it. Indeed, his presentation outlined important differences between supplements and medicines prescribed by physicians, including the striking differences in federal regulation, and the need for rigorous clinical trials before new medicines can be marketed, compared to no such requirements for supplements. This message closely aligns with a recent comment shared by UCI MIND faculty member and UCI neurologist Brian Hitt, MD in The New York Times: “The supplement industry is essentially unregulated, so you’re basically taking a gamble any time you’re taking one of those products,” said Dr. Hitt.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Dr. Grill closed with a clear call to action: be cautious of misinformation, rely on trusted sources, and support legitimate prevention research. UCI MIND remains committed to advancing Alzheimer’s prevention science and equipping the community with accurate, evidence-based guidance. For reliable brain health resources, Dr. Grill encouraged attendees to visit the websites and materials generated by trusted organizations such as the National Institute on Aging, the Alzheimer’s Association, AARP, Alzheimer’s Disease Centers, and UCI MIND.
Staff Updates
UCI MIND recently welcomed a new team member and said goodbye to a few others.
Lupe Morales brings a multidisciplinary background in organizational development, community engagement, and lived experience to her role as Community Engagement Specialist. Working closely with Dr. Crystal Glover, she is embedded within both the Outreach, Recruitment & Engagement (ORE) Core team and the Clinical Core Operations team. Her role is intentionally designed to stimulate research curiosity through education, particularly among historically under studied populations across Orange County. Drawing from her experience as a caregiver, research participant, and national aging and brain health advocate, she helps bridge clinical research and community voices. Lupe is committed to advancing brain health equity and fostering meaningful, informed participation in aging and brain health research.
Dr. Michelle McDonnell joined UCI MIND in the Fall of 2020 as a neuropsychologist for the Clinical Core. Her role included cognitive testing for research participants, rendering research diagnoses and case conferencing, meeting with families to discuss diagnoses, and supervising clinical psychology practicum students. She also gave talks in the community and was often featured on MINDcast and lectured for the Beall Scholar Program.
Crystal Yu was with UCI MIND since 2023 as the clinical research coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. She coordinated study visits, research data, and was a valued team member working on the Longitudinal Study.
We wish Dr. McDonnnell and Crystal the best of luck in their future endeavors.
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General Information
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ucimind@uci.edu
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Research Participation
949.824.0008
research@mind.uci.edu
