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Tigist Hailu, MPH, has been named to the new Penn Memory Center position of Director for Diversity in Research and Education.

Her appointment speaks to PMC’s mission to increase the diversity of clinicians and researchers in the field of aging research, as well as to ensure that patient engagement reflects the diverse communities affected by age-related cognitive disease. Hailu will continue to develop training initiatives for clinicians and researchers, as well as for students through programs such as the Minority Scholars Program in Aging Research and the Public Health Dimensions of Cognitive Aging Certificate Program.

The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association recently presented Bill Lyon, sportswriter emeritus for the Philadelphia Inquirer, with its “Most Courageous Award.”

The honor came not for Lyon’s impressive sports-writing portfolio, but rather for a recent series documenting his personal struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.

In his writing, Lyon, 79, discusses his joint effort with Dr. Jason Karlawish and the Penn Memory Center tackle “Al,” his nickname for Alzheimer’s disease.

Click here to read more about the award.

With the Lantern Theatre Company, playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer premiered a gripping play about genetics, identity, and family called Informed Consent.

The play’s lead is a young and ambitious scientist who lives with a diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s disease that she inherited from her mother and fears that she has already passed down to her young daughter.

Itching for any opportunity to help cure her daughter before her own mind deteriorates, Jilian (the researcher) agrees to perform research on a small, secluded Native tribe living in the Grand Canyon.

In March 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the most impactful health care reform bill since Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Today, President Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress are poised to dismantle this law, a move that will endanger the health status of millions of Americans, especially those with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, medical experts argue.

The Affordable Care Act, known as the ACA or Obamacare, is a legislative engine created to reduce rising healthcare costs while improving health outcomes for all Americans. Medical experts maintain that the ACA provides vital support to those with cognitive impairments. Should the law remain intact, it will continue to benefit patients, caregivers, and families. Despite this, Republican leaders decry the ACA as a failure.

“The ACA has led to multiple initiatives that are improving the quality of care in the hospital, community, and long-term care settings,” Dr. Jason Karlawish, Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center, wrote in a recent Forbes column. “These initiatives are reducing out-of-pocket payments for prescription drugs, tackling the horror of elder abuse and neglect, and training healthcare professionals in geriatric medicine.”

The Penn Memory Center and supporter Joe Nicoletti welcomed friends and family to the Class of 1923 Arena Monday for the inaugural Penn Memory Center On Ice.

More than 30 guests enjoyed the exclusive access to the University of Pennsylvania’s historic skating rink in support of the PMC’s research efforts.

The Penn Memory Center thanks Joe Nicoletti for organizing the event and for his continued support.

For more images, visit the Penn Memory Center Facebook page.

Without looking at the Penn Memory Center faculty page, try to answer the question: Who is an Alzheimer’s disease doctor?

A neurologist?

Psychiatrist?

Family practitioner?

In his latest Forbes column, Penn Memory Center Co-Director Dr. Jason Karlawish recalls the definition applied by a task force he was on: a geriatrician, neurologist or psychiatrist who devotes a ‘substantial proportion’ of practice — at least 25 percent of patient contact — to diagnosing and caring for adults with cognitive problems. Unfortunately, he explains, ‘there aren’t a lot of doctors who meet this criterion.” Why not?

Alzheimer’s: Every Minute Counts is an urgent wake-up call about the national threat posed by Alzheimer’s disease.

Many know the unique tragedy of this disease, but few know that Alzheimer’s is one of the most critical public health crises facing America. This powerful documentary illuminates the social and economic consequences for the country unless a medical breakthrough is discovered for this currently incurable disease.

WHI Epsom SE August 2009
Credit Paul Glendell Natural England

Personal and social goals may be effective in motivating older adults to exercise, according to a study this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Although numerous studies have demonstrated significant health benefits from walking – including decreased risk of heart disease, obesity, hypertension, and premature mortality – fewer than half of all adults achieve recommended levels of physical activity. Adults 65 and older are least likely to be physically active. In a 16 week period, both financial incentives and opportunity to donate to charity increased walking in older adults, by 2,348 steps and 2,562 steps per day, respectively.