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Neurology departments are incorporating greater awareness and training for trainees on health care disparities, sources of implicit bias, and social determinants of health. Here, they describe their curricula and future directions for training opportunities.

Roy H. Hamilton, MD, MS, FAAN, associate professor of neurology and assistant dean for cultural affairs and diversity at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, said neurology training would be lacking without an emphasis on racial disparities, especially since many neurologic conditions are more prevalent in minority communities. The neurology department at UPenn began to focus on diversity and inclusion in its training program in 2017, but the initiative is now seen as the core of everything the department does, from hiring to promoting staff to training students and residents.

Dr. Hamilton sees patients in the Penn Memory Center clinic.

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To address and treat neurological complications resulting from COVID-19, the department of neurology at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine recently launched a clinic specifically for COVID-19 long haulers. The Penn Neuro COVID Clinic — which Penn says is the first clinic of its kind in the region — provides both diagnostic and functional tests for anyone who has previously tested positive for COVID-19. To provide patients with comprehensive neurologic care, the clinic’s four physicians specialize in several areas of the field: Sara Manning Peskin in cognitive neurology, Danielle Sandsmark in neurocritical care, Dennis Kolson in neurovirology and immunology, and Matthew Schindler in neuroimaging. Dr. Manning Peskin sees patients in the Penn Memory Center clinic.

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By Varshini Chellapilla 

 If you tested positive for a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease, whom would you tell? Why? 

 Penn Program on Precision Medicine for the Brain (P3MB) researcher Emily Largent, PhD, JD, RN, conducted two qualitative studies to understand individuals’ decision-making process as they choose whom, why and how to share information regarding their Alzheimer’s disease biomarker and genetic testing results. The study, titled “‘That would be dreadful’: The ethical, legal, and social challenges of sharing your Alzheimer’s disease biomarker and genetic testing results with others,” was published in the Journal of Law and the Biosciences on May 19.   

The studies were done in collaboration with three other researchers from Penn Program on Precision Medicine for the Brain (P3MB): Shana Stites, PsyD, MS, MA; Kristin Harkins, MPH; and Jason Karlawish, MD.  

By Varshini Chellapilla 

Dr. David Wolk and Grace Stockbower

Clinical Research Project Manager Grace Stockbower, MPH, is moving on from the Penn Memory Center after eight years.  

Stockbower came to the center as a research specialist in 2013, after studying psychology and neuroscience at Haverford College. She worked exclusively on studies led by Dave Wolk, MD, PMC co-director.  

“We are extremely lucky that we had an opportunity to work with Grace over these last 8 years,” said Dr. Wolk. “She has played a tremendous role in the culture and operation of the Penn Memory Center and our research studies.  

Graphic illustration of a T2-weighted MRI with MTL subregion segmentation.

By Varshini Chellapilla 

Specialized high-field MRI scanners are some of the most advanced machines in medical research currently and have been equipped to study epilepsy, neurological disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease across many research fields. At Penn, the ultra-high-definition resolution of these MRIs helped researchers study the patterns of atrophy, or loss in volume due to degeneration of cells, in patients with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA). 

“Volume loss in this region of the brain has been investigated in the past but never with scans as good as these,” said Laura Wisse, PhD, the principal investigator for the study. “With higher resolutions, we were able to measure this particular region of the brain in a much more detailed way.” 

Black adults are underrepresented in Alzheimer’s disease research, even though they are more likely to develop the disease. The Aging Brain Cohort Study Dedicated to Diversity will seek to enroll more Black participants like Jay Austin (above), to combat this disparity. Austin cited this disparity as his motivation for participating in research.

Black adults are more likely than other groups to develop Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders but are poorly represented in Alzheimer’s disease research, including recent clinical trials. This health disparity illustrates how Black individuals can benefit from advances in the field if they had access.  

This week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement (CURE) program announced it will award a $3.5 million grant to Penn Memory Center (PMC) researchers and community partners to address the underrepresentation of Black adults in Alzheimer’s disease research. The grant supports the Aging Brain Cohort Dedicated to Diversity (ABCD2) study, a research and training initiative led by David Wolk, MD, a professor of Neurology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Wolk is also the incoming director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and PMC co-director. 

By Sharnita Midgett

On Feb. 24, Penny Scott-Sedley walked into the Perelman Center, eager for her chance to move towards a safer world after a year of the pandemic.

As an ABC participant, normally she would hear from Penn Medicine about her upcoming ABC visit. However, this time, she received an email from Penn Medicine informing her that she could schedule her appointment for the first dose of the COVID vaccine. Scott-Sedley knew that there would be spring-like weather in Philadelphia on Feb. 24, so with excitement, she planned to receive her dose that Wednesday.

“I always was eager to become vaccinated once a vaccine was developed. It didn’t occur to me not to, especially not after it was reported that Blacks in this country were experiencing a much higher incidence of serious illness once contracting the virus and succumbing to it in higher numbers,” Scott-Sedley began.

Her appointment time was busy, but she noted that the process was extremely well-organized.

“It took no time to get through to the person who would perform the jab, and the wait afterwards for monitoring any adverse reactions was easy-peasy.”

She had no reactions after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

“As a Black woman of a certain age, I was aware of the historical struggle that Blacks have faced from racist and unethical scientists. Think the horrific Tuskegee Institute Scandal. But in this instance, we would not be singled out for the vaccine to the exclusion of other groups. So I considered it to be a safe bet.”