USA2 SPOTLIGHT

CROWD & CLOUD, supported by the National Science Foundation, focuses on “Citizen Science in the Digital Age” and encompasses a wide and diverse range of projects, from speeding up Alzheimer’s research through crowdsourcing to combating Zika. The series features LatinosAgainstAlzheimer's advocate and caregiver, Lisette Carbajal, who helps care for her father living with Alzheimer's. The first program in the 4-part series will premiere on public television’s WORLD Channel at 9pm Eastern (with a re-feed at 9pm Pacific) on Thursday April 6th, with programs 2, 3 and 4 following one week apart on the same day and at the same times. Other PBS stations will broadcast CROWD & CLOUD at different times - please check local listings.

ICYMI: The April 5, 2017 Kaiser Health News Morning Briefing highlighted a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, co-authored by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Chairman, George Vradenburg. "If we had put a war on neurologic diseases at the same time we declared a war on cancer, we probably would not be having this conversation,” said Janet Woodcock, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration.

MUST READS

An April 6, 2017 Fox News Opinion piece by Andrew Tisch (Co-Chairman, Loews Corporation; Co-Founder of the political reform group No Labels; Vice-Chair, US Global Leadership Coalition) focused on Alzheimer’s disease in the healthcare debate raging in Washington. He proposed two main actions to deal with the crisis: drastically increase the amount of federal money going to Alzheimer’s research, and give Americans more control over end of life decisions.

An April 5, 2017 Medical News Today article featured the most helpful blogs for people affected by Alzheimer's. Blogs written by associations, people with AD, and their caregivers may help support those living with the disease and their families in preparing for the road ahead.

An April 5, 2017 USC News article spotlighted Arthur Toga’s work in brain science. Toga is Director of the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, and is one of the founders of a big-data approach to understanding the brain and its diseases. He watched Alzheimer’s disease ravage his own family. According to Toga, “I don’t think there are any other examples of data collections of this magnitude with this level of success.”

CAREGIVER CORNER

An April 5, 2017 Marketwired article (re-posted by Yahoo!Finance) announced the launch of the Caregiver and Study Partner Portal (CASPP) from the Brain Health Registry (BHR). It allows participants to designate a study partner, such as a family member or close friend. The information can be used to better identify those at risk for developing brain disease. The portal will facilitate Alzheimer's research, and then expand to different types of clinical research, including recruitment for clinical trials and screening for cognitive decline.

POLITICAL INSIGHTS

An April 5, 2017 American Council on Science and Health article reported on the Congressional Luncheon hosted by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) in Washington, DC, supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Notably, Senator Cruz championed the need for medical cures of rare diseases as well as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and diabetes specifically.