By Joyce Lee
Mr. Bear joined the Penn Memory Center (PMC) in 2017, after graduating with his Master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. At PMC, he primarily conducted qualitative data collection and analysis for the SOKRATES II study, working with Kristin Harkins, MPH, to understand why individuals decide to share or not share with others knowledge of their APOE genotype, a gene used to predict risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
“Benjamin’s social work training made him a skilled interviewer. He connected with research participants and treated them with empathy and compassion,” said Ms. Harkins. “His kindness and unique clinical perspective were great assets to our work together. He will be missed.”
In his time here, Mr. Bear helped manage the PMC Brain Health Research Registry and coordinate My Typical Day, a photography project to increase public awareness about cognitive impairment by engaging older adults living with mild cognitive impairment to document their lives. He also assisted with qualitative data analysis for SOKRATES 1 and conducted REVEAL SCAN participant visits. In his collaborations with Shana Stites, PsyD, Mr. Bear has used the insights gathered from his work on SOKRATES I and II to help design a support group for cognitively typical individuals who have learned they are at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease based on a gene or biomarker result. Mr. Bear has also worked with Dr. Stites to expand his research skills to gain exposure to quantitative analysis techniques.
Mr. Bear is a co-author of an upcoming presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2018 on how an amyloid PET scan differs from other medical tests and a key contributor to upcoming papers on the SOKRATES II study.
He will be moving on to a new position in social work with the Delaware Division of Developmental Disability Services, working with high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) to help them find employment and transition into the community when they graduate high school.
“Ben was a real pleasure to work with,” said PMC Co-Director Jason Karlawish, MD. “He conducted his studies with a keen attention to the details of the protocol and showed subjects respect and gratitude for their contributions to our science. I congratulate him on taking this next great step in his career.”