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In honor of Black History Month, this episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s explores the critical intersection of Alzheimer's disease and health equity in African-American communities. Host Meryl Comer talks with Daphne Delgado, Vice President for Health Equity at UsAgainstAlzheimer's, and Dr. Charlene Whitaker-Brown, a clinical nursing professor and 2022 Brain Health Equity Nurse Fellowship graduate. They discuss the stark disparities facing Black Americans—who are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's yet 35% less likely to receive timely diagnosis. Dr. Whitaker-Brown shares her powerful journey from experienced nurse to full-time caregiver, and how the fellowship transformed her ability to serve her community through culturally tailored outreach in churches, workshops, and community centers.  The conversation emphasizes the vital role nurses play as trusted frontline educators in promoting brain health, addressing stigma, and connecting families to essential resources. This is a must listen episode!

Produced by Susan Quirk

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This episode of BrainStorm, by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, features host Meryl Comer interviewing Leah Fisher, a psychotherapist and author who took a bold year-long solo travel sabbatical at age 60 to explore different cultures while maintaining her marriage. The conversation takes a poignant turn as Fisher reveals that after the events in her book, she received an MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment) diagnosis with elevated Alzheimer's risk. She candidly shares her journey of recognizing early symptoms like misplacing car keys and developing aphasia, the validation that came with diagnosis, and her current experience living with uncertainty about disease progression. Fisher offers insights on how couples cope with health diagnoses, the importance of curiosity over avoidance, and her desire to be treated with patience, kindness, and continued love as she faces an uncertain future. This conversation is essential listening for family members, caregivers, and anyone navigating aging and brain health. 

Produced by Susan Quirk

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BrainStorm guest Vradenburg, Chairman and Founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer's, sits down with host Meryl Comer for a comprehensive look at the state of Alzheimer's research, advocacy, and care in 2025.

Vradenburg addresses critical challenges facing the Alzheimer's community, including threats to NIH funding and the impact of funding instability on researchers and clinical trials. The discussion covers key advocacy efforts like the CHANGE Act and ASAP Act, which aim to make cognitive checkups and blood-based diagnostic tests more accessible through Medicare coverage. Vradenburg also highlights UsAgainstAlzheimer's expanding initiatives, from the BrainGuide platform offering direct-to-consumer cognitive assessments to educational programs training healthcare professionals on brain health.

Looking forward, Vradenburg makes a bold prediction: within the next decade, we could see preventive treatments for Alzheimer's, potentially including a vaccine. This episode offers both a candid assessment of current challenges and an optimistic vision for the future of Alzheimer's prevention and treatment. This is a must listen episode!

Produced by Susan Quirk and Amber Roniger

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Ep 99: The Future of Alzheimer's Trials: AI, Biomarkers, and Remote Research – John Dwyer, CEO of The Global Alzheimer’s Platform

In part 2 John Dwyer, CEO of the Global Alzheimer's Platform (GAP), and BrainStorm host Meryl Comer discuss transforming Alzheimer's research and clinical trials. Dwyer shares how the field is shifting toward earlier intervention and leveraging artificial intelligence to improve trial efficiency and accuracy. AI can help identify subtle disease patterns and ensure trials enroll appropriate candidates. GAP is also pioneering remote, decentralized trials that bring research into patients' homes rather than requiring frequent clinic visits, aiming to dramatically scale up participation.

Dwyer also highlights proven lifestyle interventions that support cognitive health alongside pharmaceutical treatments and suggests multiple treatment approaches may soon be available.

This episode of BrainStorm is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson

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The quest to speed up clinical trials is personal for John Dwyer, CEO of the Global Alzheimer's Platform (GAP). A long-time UsA2 advocate, he’s been motivated by the generations of family members lost to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Dwyer shares with BrainStorm host Meryl Comer the critical challenges of NIH funding cuts by the Trump Administration, forcing many trial sites to shut down at a time of new FDA-cleared blood tests for early diagnosis.  Dwyer highlights GAP's innovations in improving the participant experience through streamlining visits, personalized feedback, and bringing mobile trials directly to small communities. This must listen episode reinforces clinical trial participation as a valuable care option while advancing research for millions affected by Alzheimer's and related dementias. 

This episode of BrainStorm is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson

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Diane Rehm, the legendary 89-year-old NPR talk show host, discusses her passionate advocacy for medical aid in dying with BrainStorm host, Meryl Comer. Rehm’s view was shaped by her husband John's difficult death from Parkinson's disease and the experience transformed her into a fierce advocate for end-of-life autonomy. She's adamant that if diagnosed with serious illness or early signs of Alzheimer's, she would travel to Switzerland rather than undergo treatment or lose her cognitive capacity, declaring that legislators have "no right to control my decision as to when I die."

Despite confronting these weighty topics, Diane exemplifies what researchers call a "superager"—maintaining remarkable physical and cognitive health through decades of Pilates, a disciplined diet, active social engagement, and continued work. She also reflects on her storied broadcasting career, lamenting how modern media has become siloed and less committed to presenting multiple perspectives, while emphasizing her core philosophy that "a talk show should really be called a listening show"—valuing ordinary people's voices as much as those of distinguished leaders.

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Dr. Rachel Buckley discusses the critical link between menopause and Alzheimer's risk in women with BrainStorm host Meryl Comer. Dr. Buckley explains that early menopause can be associated with faster cognitive decline and higher tau levels in the brain. She emphasizes the importance of timing for hormone replacement therapy and how estrogen plays a vital role in brain health through receptors that regulate communication between brain regions and mood. Dr. Buckley advocates for proactive conversations with doctors starting at age 40, midlife cognitive checkups around age 55, and better sex-specific reporting in clinical trials, noting that recent Alzheimer's treatments showed dramatically different results in men (42% benefit) versus women (12% benefit). As leader of a Welcome LEAP research team, she's working to cut women's lifetime Alzheimer's risk in half within three years, representing a new wave of prevention-focused research that coincides with the critical menopause transition period. This is a must listen episode!

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Dr. Rachel Buckley of Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School discusses groundbreaking research revealing stark sex differences in Alzheimer's disease with BrainStorm host Meryl Comer. Her studies found that while men and women show similar levels of amyloid protein, women consistently display significantly higher levels of tau. This discovery has sparked a $50 million Welcome Leap Care grant aimed at cutting Alzheimer's lifetime risk among women by half.

The episode clarifies widespread confusion about hormone replacement therapy, explaining that the problematic Women's Health Initiative study used outdated hormone formulations on women over 65—far past the optimal window for intervention. Dr. Buckley emphasizes that current evidence supports HRT use within certain parameters and stresses the importance of women advocating for themselves when experiencing perimenopause symptoms like brain fog and sleep disturbances. The research highlights menopause as a critical period that may influence Alzheimer's risk decades later.

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In this deeply moving episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, Emma Heming Willis shares her intimate journey as a caregiver to her husband Bruce Willis, who lives with frontotemporal dementia. Their conversation covers the progression from early warning signs to diagnosis and the complex decisions required in caregiving - including the heartbreaking but necessary choice to have Bruce live separately to better serve both his needs and their children's wellbeing.

Emma's candid discussion about reframing expectations, finding permission to ask for help, and discovering unexpected beauty amid profound loss offers hope and practical guidance for other caregivers. Her transformation of personal tragedy into advocacy through her book "The Unexpected Journey"  demonstrates how caregivers can find purpose and meaning while navigating one of life's most challenging experiences. You don’t want to miss this episode!

Produced by Susan Quirk and Amber Roniger

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In this episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Dr. Jonathan Rosand, co-founder of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Harvard discusses his revolutionary approach to preventing brain diseases before they start with host Meryl Comer. Dr. Rosand explains how his work originated from his experience treating severe brain injuries, where he witnessed patients and their families developing depression, anxiety, and PTSD after surviving critical care. This led him to ultimately developing the "Brain Care Score" - a tool that measures 12 daily lifestyle choices that can substantially reduce the risk of dementia, stroke, and depression. The Brain Care Score gives individuals agency over their brain health, emphasizing that prevention is about daily choices rather than complex medical interventions. 

Learn more about the Brain Care Score at the McCance Center for Brain Health. 

Produced by Susan Quirk and Amber Roniger

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