We will no longer be silent: The role of the Black Church in supporting those with dementia and their care partners

On this National Day of Prayer, we will no longer be silent about dementia and how it impacts our community. As Black Americans, we need hope. We will speak up, share our stories, and support each other. It is true -- dementia does not discriminate, it has no color to it. This disease is happening way too often in the Black community. Older Black adults are particularly vulnerable to developing various forms of dementia. Black adults are twice as likely than older White adults to have dementia. We are such a hush-hush community, and that needs to stop today if

Why Women Are Our Best Bet in Alzheimer’s Research

For too long, Alzheimer’s research has overlooked one of the most fundamental factors in the disease: sex-based differences. Now, the case for change is even clearer. A new report from Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM) finds that doubling National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for women-focused Alzheimer’s research would add over $930 million to the U.S. economy—a stunning 224% return on investment. This research approach could unlock the secrets of Alzheimer’s to benefit everyone. Sex-based differences are the gateway to precision medicine, offering new scientific avenues to accelerate progress. By understanding these differences, we have an opportunity to achieve breakthroughs

Memory: “A Bit of a Dunce”

“I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers “Consultin' with the rain…. “And my head I'd be scratchin' while “my thoughts were busy hatchin' “If I only had a brain….” —Yip Harbung, lyrics, ‘If I only had a brain,’ Wizard of Oz, 1939 While we all have a brain, one not made of straw, memory itself can be deceptive. “While memory is king, it is also a bit of a dunce,” says close friend Lisa Genova, Harvard-educated neuroscientist, author of yet another New York Times Bestseller, “ Remember: The Science of Remembering and The Art of Forgetting", published

COVID-19 Vs. Alzheimer’s: A Rocky Prizefight!

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, life in some ways is still a cross between “ Groundhog Day” and “ The Shining,”and a fleck of “ Alice in Wonderland” where “nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t.” While some relief has arrived in the form of COVID-19 vaccinations, seeking the so-called “herd immunity,” finding a balance between conservative and liberal narratives, continues to be a moving target. Given growing concerns about COVID-19 variants worldwide, many are now saying we need a Marshall Plan for global vaccinations. I’ve never been a fear monger, but my

What COVID-19 Taught Us About Race, Health and Wealth

This piece was originally published in NextAvenue. The last time I saw my family in person was last February at a conference in South Texas. It was the first time my 10-year-old nephew and six-year-old niece saw me on stage in front of hundreds of people talking about racial inequities in Alzheimer's research, my area of expertise. I don't know how much of the discussion they understood, but I know they saw their uncle, a first-generation college graduate, alongside experts from across the country holding his own. Afterwards, we munched on enchiladas and talked about the hamsters my husband and