USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

A June Washington Life Magazine article profiled UsAgainstAlzheimer’s co-founders George and Trish Vradenburg and their commitment to stopping Alzheimer’s through philanthropy and leadership. The profile is on page 37 and can be accessed here.

A June 10, 2016 BrightFocus Foundation press release announced that UsAgainstAlzheimer’s board member Meryl Comer received an award from the organization for her efforts to fight Alzheimer’s. According to the release, “Meryl Comer, Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer's Initiative and Women Against Alzheimer's, received the BrightFocus Award for Public Leadership, which was presented by Marsha Henderson, Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health, Food and Drug Administration.”

Alzheimer's Talks: What if we could stop Alzheimer’s before it starts? Dr. Eric Reiman, Executive Director of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, is at the forefront of a new wave of Alzheimer’s research. He, Dr. Pierre Tariot and their colleagues lead the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative, which is seeking a way to prevent Alzheimer’s before it even starts. Today, from 4 to 5 p.m. ET, Dr. Reiman will join us for an exciting episode ofAlzheimer’s Talks. Sing up here. 

MUST READS 

A June 12, 2016 Philly.com article by retired journalist Bill Lyon provided a glimpse into life with Alzheimer’s. According to Lyon, “My nemesis, Alzheimer’s…Ah, but I will not be allowed to wallow in self-pity. They gang up on me. A wife of 52 years. Two sons. Two grandsons. A great-grandson. I am blessed with a support group that is close at hand and ever vigilant. You did for us, they tell me, and now it's our turn to do for you. I felt a catch in my throat and a familiar moisture in my eyes. They are attentive but firm. Remember the mantra: Adapt. Adjust. Never give in.” 

A June 12, 2016 Huffington Post blog post by Marie Marley highlighted her relationship with a woman living with Alzheimer’s that she visits weekly. According to Marley, “I volunteer to visit some ladies with Alzheimer’s at a local memory care facility here in Kansas City. And I receive so much more than I give. I realize I shouldn’t have a favorite but I do. Ruth (not her real name) is my favorite. I’ve been visiting her every week for more than three years. We have become incredibly close. I love her and from what I can tell, she loves me, too. She doesn’t remember my name, doesn’t remember that I come every Thursday, but her face always lights up when she sees me. She knows I’m someone she loves to visit with.”

A June 11, 2016 Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel article reported on how Alzheimer’s transformed one family’s lives and finances and highlighted the economic impact of the disease. According to the article, “‘We thought we'd travel for maybe 10 years, while our knees could still handle it,’ Steve Schultz said. ‘Then we'd settle down, with a place in Florida and one up here, kind of like my folks did. We did not see this monster coming.’That monster was — is — Alzheimer's disease. Steve, 68, and Peg, 67, hardly knew a thing about it. It wasn't part of the plan…While studies and media stories that explore the emotional toll the disease extracts from family and friends are all but legion, the financial toll, which can also be devastating, is less understood…Couples find themselves doing things utterly alien to their sense of love and marriage, including getting divorced, to protect their assets.”

POLITICS

A June 13, 2016 STAT News article reported on the policy differences between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on key biomedical issues like Alzheimer’s research. According to the article, “When Hillary Clinton announced in December that she wanted a big increase in Alzheimer’s research, she did it in typical Clinton fashion — with a major speech and a six-point plan, led by a specific commitment of $2 billion a year in federal funds to find a cure by 2025. When Donald Trump announced his own support for Alzheimer’s research last summer, he did it because someone asked him a question at a town hall. And his response was typical Trump. He assured the New Hampshire audience that Alzheimer’s was a “total top priority” for him — a bold promise with no specifics and no follow-up.”

RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY 

Daily RX News: PET Scans Could Diagnose Alzheimer's in Early Stages

NJ.com: Rowan's Alzheimer's disease test looks like game-changer

Science Daily: Alzheimer's researchers find clues to toxic forms of amyloid beta