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Even while leading a healthy mental and physical life, no one can be certain about the aging brain’s destiny. The stage of life marked by walkers, hearing aids, and memory lapses is averted by a few, but dreaded by all. Since Alzheimer’s Disease is one of the three leading causes of death in the elderly population, how to keep performing at the top of one’s game, even in old age, is of interest to many.

On this episode, our guest, a Harriman Professor and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at UCSB, and highly celebrated, award-winning research scientist, Kenneth S. Kosik, M.A. M.D., will speak on the topic of Alzheimer’s, aging, and age-related changes. Since age-related cognitive decline goes beyond just remembering and forgetting, it’s important to understand how it all relates to Executive Function and self-sufficiency.

About Dr. Kenneth S. Kosik
Kenneth S. Kosik, M.A. M.D. served as professor at the Harvard Medical School from 1996-2004 when he became the Harriman Professor and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at UCSB. His awards include Whitaker Health Sciences Award (MIT), Milton Foundation Award (Harvard Medical School), Moore Award (American Association of Neuropathologists), Metropolitan Life Award, Derek Denny-Brown Award (American Neurological Association), Zenith and Temple Awards (Alzheimer’s Association), Ranwell Caputo Medal (Argentine Society of Neurochemistry), NASA Group Achievement Award to Neurolab Team, the Premio Aventis (Academia Nacional de Medicina, Colombia), a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Santa Barbara Innovation Star Award.  He co-authored Outsmarting Alzheimer’s Disease and The Alzheimer’s Solution: How Today’s Care is Failing Millions and How We Can Do Better. His work, including the characterization in Colombia of the largest family in the world with familial Alzheimer’s has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, BBC, CNN, PBS and CBS 60 Minutes. His 2016 UCSB commencement address was archived at the Graduation Wisdom Best Commencement Speeches web site.

Website

• https://labs.mcdb.ucsb.edu/kosik/kenneth/

Books

• The Alzheimer’s Solution: How Today’s Care Is Failing Millions and How We Can Do Better
• Outsmarting Alzheimer’s: What You Can Do to Reduce Your Risk

About Host, Sucheta Kamath
Sucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.

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