Overview
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s proudly presents our 11th Annual National Alzheimer’s Summit, “The Time Is Now: Advocating Alzheimer’s Policy for Every Generation.” Join us as we highlight the importance of caring for the brain at every stage of life, from childhood through the older adult years, and explore the barriers to care facing Black and Latino communities and the specific factors increasing women's risk of Alzheimer’s. With multiple calls to action throughout the two-day summit, our discussions will offer attendees meaningful ways to optimize their brain health and make a difference for everyone affected by the disease.
DAY ONE
Setting Your Brain Up for Success: Brain Care from Childhood through Early Adulthood for Lifelong Cognitive Health
It is never too early—or too late—to start caring for your brain and implementing habits that support brain health. Emerging evidence suggests that up to 45% of dementia cases may be prevented by addressing key factors in brain health protection before midlife. This session will explore how brain health is a lifelong journey and how habits established in childhood and early adulthood lay the foundation for a healthy brain throughout the lifespan.
The “Panini Generation”: Caregiving Under Pressure
This panel will bring together caregivers being pressed from both sides: individuals who are caring for both young children and aging parents experiencing cognitive decline. The more traditional term for this group is the Sandwich Generation, but as those caring for two generations at once attest, this intense period feels more like a panini: squeezed, under constant pressure, with little room to breathe. Caregivers with diverse lived experiences will talk honestly about what that pressure looks like day to day and why protecting their own cognitive and emotional health is a necessity, not a luxury. Panelists will cover practical, evidence-based strategies for preserving their own brain health while responding to the needs of both children and aging parents.
Building Trust: Alzheimer’s Awareness in Black and Latino Communities
Black and Latino communities are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s but often face barriers to getting resources, care, and support. Building trust through culturally relevant messaging and community partnerships is key to helping more people recognize the signs, seek care earlier, and access resources. This session will explore why Alzheimer’s affects communities differently, what gets in the way of care, and proven approaches that are making a difference. Hear a real-world success story that shows how trusted community outreach can increase awareness, build trust, and help Black and Latino families connect to Alzheimer’s care and support.
DAY TWO
Beyond Memory Loss: Why Midlife Is the Front Line for Early Detection and Brain Health
When people think about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, memory loss is often the first symptom that comes to mind. Yet many individuals experience earlier changes that can be more subtle and less recognized. Changes in decision-making, financial management, planning, behavior, or personality, for example, are often dismissed as stress, menopause, depression, or normal aging. Given that midlife is a time when we routinely screen for cancers, heart disease, and other chronic conditions long before symptoms become severe, why doesn’t brain health receive the same preventive approach? This panel will explore why brain health should, like other conditions, prioritize early detection to improve outcomes, highlighting emerging approaches to cognitive assessment, biomarker testing, and risk identification. Panelists will discuss how earlier recognition and screening can empower individuals to access treatments, adopt risk-reducing lifestyle changes, plan for the future, and participate in research.
What’s New: Advances in Science and Policy
This panel will spotlight new advances in brain health and Alzheimer's treatments. Medical devises have not seen the same use in Alzheimer's as they have in other fields like cardiology, but new examples on the horizon could add powerful new therapeutic and preventive options. At the same time, the emphasis on midlife brain health has made the workplace a key area for investing in and preserving brain health, with new tools available to create a healthier, more productive work environment.
Women’s Brain Health: Risks, Research, and What We Need Next
Women are disproportionately and differentially impacted by Alzheimer’s disease: two-thirds of the individuals living with Alzheimer’s are women, and a wide range of influences throughout life—from endocrine and vascular changes to genetic, environmental, and psychosocial factors—lead to a woman’s individual risk. An understanding of these factors and their potential impact is critical to delivering effective personalized diagnostic approaches, risk reduction strategies, and disease interventions. This session will bring together researchers with unique and complementary perspectives to reveal new and important directions in the field of sex differences in Alzheimer's.
Agenda
11th Annual National Alzheimer’s Virtual Summit
September 16-17, 2026
The Time Is Now: Advocating Alzheimer’s Solutions for Every Generation
and Every Family
Overview
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s proudly presents our 11th Annual National Alzheimer’s Summit, “The Time Is Now: Advocating Alzheimer’s Solutions for Every Generation and Every Family.” Join us as we highlight the importance of caring for the brain at every stage of life, from childhood through the older adult years, and explore the barriers to care facing Black and Latino communities and the specific factors increasing women's risk of Alzheimer’s. With multiple calls to action throughout the two-day summit, our discussions will offer attendees meaningful ways to optimize their brain health and make a difference for everyone affected by the disease.
DAY 1 – Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Summit Kickoff – 12:30pm ET
State of the Movement
George Vradenburg, Chairman and Co-Founder, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s
PANEL 1 – 12:45pm ET
Setting Your Brain Up for Success: Brain Care from Childhood through Early Adulthood for Lifelong Cognitive Health
It is never too early—or too late—to start caring for your brain and implementing habits that support brain health. Emerging evidence suggests that up to 45% of dementia cases may be prevented by addressing key factors in brain health protection across the life course. This session will explore how brain health is a lifelong journey and how habits established in childhood and early adulthood lay the foundation for a healthy brain throughout the lifespan.
Moderator:
- Maria Glymour, ScD, Chair and Professor, Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health
Speakers:
- Angela Dykes, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, Owner/Family Nurse Practitioner, Essential Health and Wellness
- Francesca Farina, PhD, Assistant Professor, Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago
- Victoria Chen, MD, American Academy of Pediatrics
Fireside Chat with The Honorable Roger Marshall (U.S. Senator, KS – R)
1:45pm ET
PANEL 2 – 2:00pm ET
The “Panini Generation”: Caregiving Under Pressure
This panel will bring together caregivers being pressed from both sides: individuals who are caring for both young children and aging parents experiencing cognitive decline and managing the family financially. The more traditional term for this group is the Sandwich Generation, but as those caring for two generations at once attest, this intense period feels more like a panini: squeezed, under constant pressure, with little room to breathe. Caregivers with diverse lived experiences will talk honestly about what that pressure looks like day to day and discuss why protecting their own cognitive and emotional health is a necessity, not a luxury. Panelists will cover practical, evidence-based strategies for preserving their own brain health while responding to the needs of their extended family.
Moderator:
- Emily Holzknecht, Producer, Opinion, New York Times
Speakers:
- Kalisha Bonds Johnson, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, Assistant Professor, Tenure Track; Principal Investigator, DECIDE Research Lab
- Tina McCrea, CLM, CDP, PPMC, CPM, Apostle, Without a Trace Ministries, Inc.; CEO, BJM Dementia Services, Inc
- Carlos Olivas, Caregiver
Fireside Chat with The Honorable Andy Kim (U.S. Senator, NJ – D)
3:00pm ET
PANEL 3 – 3:30pm ET
Building Trust: Solving for Alzheimer’s in Black and Latino Communities
Black and Latino communities are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s but often face barriers to getting resources, medicines, care, and support. Building trust through culturally relevant messaging and community partnerships is key to helping more people recognize the signs, seek care earlier, and access medicines and resources. This session will explore why Alzheimer’s affects communities differently, what gets in the way of access to care, and proven approaches that are making a difference. Hear a real-world success story that shows how trusted community outreach can increase awareness, build trust, and help Black and Latino families connect to Alzheimer’s medicines, care, and support.
Moderator:
- Chantez Bailey, Vice President, Communications, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s
Speakers:
- Marcela Gaitán, MPH, MA, Managing Director for External Relations, Healthy Americas Foundation
- Gina Green-Harris, PhD, Director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute Regional Milwaukee Office; Director, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Center for Community Engagement and Health Partnerships; Co‑Director, Just Research Program
- Michael Payne, Retiree (living with two copies of the ApoE4 variant)
- Pamela Price, RN, Deputy Director, The Balm In Gilead, Inc.
Day One Closing Remarks 4:30pm ET
Catherine Patterson, Acting Chief Operating Officer, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s
DAY 2 – Thursday, September 17, 2026
Opening – 12:30pm ET
PANEL 4 – 1:00pm ET
Beyond Memory Loss: Recognizing and Taking Action against Alzheimer’s
When people think about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, late-life memory loss is often the first symptom that comes to mind. Yet many individuals experience earlier changes that can be more subtle and less recognized. Changes in decision-making, financial management, planning, behavior, or personality, for example, are often dismissed as stress, menopause, depression, or normal aging. Given that midlife is a time when we routinely screen for cancers, heart disease, and other chronic conditions, adding a cognitive check-in could help reveal more subtle changes in brain health before symptoms become severe. This panel will explore why brain health should, like other conditions, prioritize early detection to improve outcomes, highlighting emerging approaches to cognitive assessment, biomarker testing, and risk identification. Panelists will discuss how earlier recognition and screening can empower individuals to access treatments, adopt risk-reducing lifestyle changes, participate in research, and plan for the future.
Moderator:
- Juan Rodriguez, PhD, MPH, MS, Vice President, Brain Health, AARP
Speakers:
- Sharon Cohen, MD, FRCPC (Neurology), Medical Director, Toronto Memory Program
- Carole Roan Gresenz, PhD, Dean, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University
- Alison Abraham, PhD, MHS, MS, Professor, Vice Chair for Education, Epidemiology, Co-Director Graduate Programs, Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health; Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Senior Associate, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - Invited
Fireside Chat with The Honorable Angela Alsobrooks (U.S. Senator, MD – D)
2:00 pm ET
PANEL 5 – 2:15pm ET
What’s New: Advances in Science and Policy
This two-part conversation will spotlight new advances in brain health and Alzheimer’s treatments. Medical devices have not seen the same use in Alzheimer’s as they have in other fields like cardiology, but new examples on the horizon could add powerful new therapeutic and preventive options. At the same time, the emphasis on midlife brain health has made the workplace a key area for investing in and preserving brain health, with new tools available to create a healthier, more productive work environment.
Moderator:
- Dan Pawson, Senior Director, Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease
Speakers:
- Tom Fagan, Executive Vice President, Alzheimer’s Portfolio, Cognito Therapeutics
- Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD, Dee Wyly Distinguished University Professor, Behavioral and Brain Sciences; Founder & Chief Director, Center for BrainHealth, UT Dallas
PANEL 6 – 3:15pm ET
Women’s Brain Health: Risks, Research, and What We Need Next
Women are disproportionately and differentially impacted by Alzheimer’s disease: two-thirds of the individuals living with Alzheimer’s are women, and a wide range of influences throughout life—from endocrine and vascular changes to genetic, environmental, and psychosocial factors—lead to differences in risk between men and women. An understanding of these factors and their potential impact is critical to delivering personalized diagnoses, risk reduction strategies, and disease interventions. This session will bring together researchers with unique and complementary perspectives to reveal new and important directions in the field of sex differences in Alzheimer’s.
Moderator:
- Beth Battaglino, RN-C, Chief Executive Officer, HealthyWomen
Speakers:
- Emily Jacobs, PhD, Director, Ann S. Bowers Women's Brain Health Initiative; Professor of Neuroscience, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Judy Pa, PhD, Professor of Neurosciences, Shiley Chair of Alzheimer's Disease Research, Co-Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
- Claire Sexton, PhD, National Executive Programs Lead, Brain Health, American Heart Association
Summit Closing Remarks 4:15pm ET
Catherine Patterson, Acting, Chief Operating Officer, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s
Speakers
11th Annual National Alzheimer’s Virtual Summit
