Why My Dad Isn’t Walking Me Down the Aisle

When the reminders for Father’s Day begin, memories of Father’s Days past are what I cling to – memories that I know are buried deep inside my father as well. But for many years, Father’s Day has no longer been filled with his laughter or signs of pride in his children. Father’s Day also always seems to fall near major moments that I wish I could have shared with my dad: starting a job with the Governor of Virginia, finishing graduate school, and this year, getting married. When I met Graham, my father’s Alzheimer’s had already progressed enough that he

What a President Will Do for UsAgainstAlzheimer’s

UsAgainstAlzheimer’s is pushing for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease in an unprecedented way. It is demanding urgency and deploying innovative and creative strategies to help the United States – and the rest of the world – address the disease. For more than seven years, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s has advocated on behalf of patients and their caregivers, supported cutting-edge research efforts, and incubated promising initiatives focused on finding a cure. I have been lucky to participate in the success of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s for several years in multiple capacities, including as a Founding Board Member of the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP) and as the

Giving Patients a Much-Needed Voice in Alzheimer’s Research

Alzheimer’s is a disease that progresses slowly through its six stages, gradually robbing patients of their memories and abilities while placing great burdens on their caregivers. And as the global population rapidly ages and the number of those with this lengthy and cruel disease increases, the need to find and deliver Alzheimer’s treatments and cures has never been more urgent. The question we face is: How do we direct limited resources to accelerate rapid development, testing and regulatory approval of new treatments, while making sure those treatments provide what patients and their caregivers actually want? The answer is surprisingly simple

Pets and Engaging Those Living with Alzheimer's

There is substantial research supporting the notion that activities involving pets (and in some cases stuffed animals) can be beneficial to people living with Alzheimer’s. These activities usually reach those in the latest stages of the disease—even when they no longer talk or recognize loved ones. Here is some down-to-earth, practical advice on how to involve pets and stuffed animals to engage, comfort, communicate with, and bring joy to your loved one who is living with dementia. These tips are based on my personal experience as a caregiver, articles and books I have published, articles and books published by other

Veterans’ Health Experts Offer Solutions to Clinical Trial Inefficiencies

On April 12 th, I was very excited to participate in a summit focused on improving medical outcomes for veterans through more efficient clinical trials. This summit was put on by the National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundation (NAVREF) and hosted at Deloitte in Arlington, Virginia. We were honored to sponsor this event alongside our friends at LUNGevity and our partners at Cohen Veterans Bioscience, and I was so grateful to have the opportunity to address a room full of experts who are committed to prioritizing the health of our veterans. We know that clinical trials offer the

Recap: Research in Action at the UsA2 Tokyo Scientific Roundtable

Last week, ResearchersAgainstAlzheimer’s co-hosted the Alzheimer’s Scientific Roundtable at the University of Tokyo in Japan, which brought together some of the best and brightest minds engaged in the global battle against this dreaded disease. Our hope is that this meeting will spur the Japanese government to make dementia a central theme of its 2019 G20 leadership. Anyone who has dealt with Alzheimer's knows the terrible toll it takes on patients and their families. I watched in horror as my wife’s brilliant, vibrant, extraordinary mother disappeared into the disease in the early 1990s.Let me take a minute to explain why this

Using Art to Bring Joy to Those Living with Alzheimer’s

Lester Potts, the father of neurologist, Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN, had never held a paintbrush in his life. When he developed Alzheimer’s, he eventually began going to a daycare program. While there, they encouraged him to paint with water colors. Lester produced stunning paintings, and later became an artist of acclaim. His work brought joy to him and to all who viewed it. In fact, Dr. Potts and I admired his paintings so much, we chose one for the cover of our book, “Finding Joy in Alzheimer’s: New Hope for Caregivers.” Research supports the notion that activities using art

Dementia Patients Should Inform Tech Development

My daughter recently bought me a Google Home Mini. As someone who lives with dementia and used to be a leader in the IT field, I always thought one could be helpful to me and many folks with disabilities. I quickly realized I was wrong. To be sure, t here are a number of helpful things that I can do with the Google Home Mini. For example, I can ask any questions -- what is the temperature or when will it snow? I can ask information about the latest news, and set reminders for meetings and deadlines. The voice assistant

At Least Alzheimer's Research Is Bringing Washington Together

This op-ed originally appear in The Hill newspaper on February 15, 2018. In an era of extreme partisanship, there is one issue that continues to inspire collaboration and even comradery among members of both parties: the fight to stop Alzheimer’s. Click here to continue reading.

Using Music to Engage and Comfort People Living with Alzheimer’s Disease

Music has the power to reach people with Alzheimer’s disease on a deep level. Many patients can sing songs long after their Alzheimer’s has progressed beyond the point of recognizing loved ones, dressing themselves, or even remembering what happened five minutes earlier. I personally used to listen to music on a regular basis with my 92-year-old Romanian soul mate and he always enjoyed it. His face would light up and he would move in time with the music. Sometimes he would hum along. Two instances stand out. One was when I pretended to be conducting the music, emulating the type