USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A July 23, 2019 The Eagle-Tribune article highlighted the looming demographic shift as America grays. As people play with the new FaceApp to see what they may look like in the future, in little more than 15 years, older adults will outnumber kids for the first time in U.S. history. According to the article, ““The disease trajectory of Alzheimer’s is forcing our hand,” George Vradenburg, the co-founder and chairman of the UsAgainstAlzheimer’s advocacy group, told Forbes magazine. “The health care system needs to start preparing now to more effectively detect, diagnose, address and support Alzheimer’s patients and families today and over the next few decades.” The challenges are sobering, but they must be met if there's any hope those FaceApp oldies are really smiling by the time we age into their wrinkles.”

A July 18, 2019 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s statement quoted UsA2 Chairman and Co-Founder George Vradenburg regarding the passage of AB 453 into law in California. “We applaud the leadership of Gov. Newsom and the California state legislature for making AB 453 a reality. Ensuring that all EMTs receive dementia training and guidance on how to best interact with and treat those living with cognitive impairment is a necessary step towards readying our entire healthcare system to improve the lives of those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia… This new law encourages a systemwide readiness that is desperately needed across the country for medical professionals of all kinds.”

Join MANA - A National Latina Organization, UsAgainstAlzheimer's, and Florida International University for the “Advancing Brain Health Equity in Communities of Color” briefing. Panelists will place a spotlight on policies that improve early detection, support family caregivers and catalyze research to deliver cures and better care. Moderated by LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s Lead Jason Resendez, with panelist Stephanie Monroe, AfricanAmericanAgainstAlzheimer's Lead, among other notables. Tomorrow, July 24, 2019, 11am-12pm, On the Hill. Registration required.

MUST READS

A July 22, 2019 CISION PR Newswire release spotlighted the winners of the inaugural Cure Coin Awards at last week’s AAIC, 10 leading bioindustry scientists developing therapeutics for Alzheimer's, CTE and other related dementias. “Quite simply, any drug likely to save our lives will be developed by a drug company, most likely, a small bio startup led by scientists willing to leave the comfort zone of academia to form companies, so that potential medications can go from the pages of medical journals to tested interventions for patients,” said InvestAcure lead Max Tokarsky.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

A July 21, 2019 The Algemeiner article spotlighted Israeli scientist Shahar Barbash, who started Quantified Biology to develop software capable of dramatically shortening the time it takes scientists to analyze cells and tissue images. Barbash, who partnered with chemistry Nobel laureate Michael Levitt, studied neuroscience and understands how the human eye perceives images, what the researcher sees and how to translate it into an algorithm. His goal is to cure Alzheimer’s disease, which has grandfather had. “I want our software to help create more efficient drugs for neurological disorders. Not just degenerative conditions, but schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The brain is my biggest love, and if we can offer even a glimmer of hope, that will be my holy grail,” said  Barbash.