About the Speaker: Nicole Berchtold, PhD is an associate project scientist at UCI MIND. She completed her BS in Biology at Duke University, spent 2 years in neuroscience research at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and completed her PhD and postdoctoral research at UCI. She has over 40 publications investigating biological mechanisms by which exercise enhances hippocampal function and learning, and the molecular changes that occur in the brain with aging and Alzheimer’s disease. She has helped procure multiple grants for over 25 years and is a regular contributor to journal reviews and conferences in her discipline.
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Join UCI MIND on Friday, July 10 at 11:00-11:30 AM for our monthly Facebook Live Q&A series. In this episode, Dr. Nicole Berchtold, a UCI MIND laboratory scientist, will answer your questions about exercise and brain health. Click this direct link to watch the video and ask your questions.
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Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD, Director of UCI MIND This morning (July 8, 2020), Biogen and Eisai announced that the two companies had together completed submission to the FDA for regulatory and marketing approval of aducanumab, the monoclonal antibody against the beta amyloid protein that accumulates in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease. We’ve previously written about the unique set of circumstances under which Biogen is submitting their application. Two large Phase 3 clinical trials were halted for futility in 2019, only for later assessments of the study data to lead to the sponsors to conclude that the drug…
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Dr. Elizabeth Head (left) studies Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease at UCI. In an accompanying editorial, Elizabeth Head, PhD, of University of California Irvine, and Beau Ances, MD, PhD, of Washington University St Louis, wrote, "Fortea and colleagues noted similarities between biomarkers reflecting Alzheimer disease pathogenesis in individuals with Down syndrome and individuals with late onset and autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease. These results provide strong evidence that studies of people with Down syndrome can inform research on late-onset and autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease." Read more here >
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Contributed by Christian Salazar, PhD, UCI MIND Project Scientist The Neighborhood Atlas: California - 2015 ADI State Rankings While the link between poverty and disease is well documented in health disparities research, a practical way to connect poverty with biological processes has proven to be difficult. Nevertheless, recent advancements like the new publicly-available tool called “The Neighborhood Atlas” has made it easier for health disparities researchers to rank and geographically map neighborhoods according to socioeconomic disadvantage. In a recent JAMA article, researchers linked The Neighborhood Atlas with repositories of brain tissue in a sample of 447 decedents from California and…
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Breaking News from CA Governor Newsom: COVID-19 cases are spreading at alarming rates in some CA counties. Effective immediately, California Department of Public Health is requiring counties that have been on the County Monitoring List for at least 3 days to move certain sectors outdoors or close. In addition, all brewpubs, breweries, bars, and pubs in these counties must close immediately, both indoor and outdoor. Visit covid19.ca.gov for more information. UCI In The News: State puts Orange County on coronavirus watch list: Orange County Register: Bernadette Boden-Albala, dean of University of California, Irvine’s public health program and…
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AMENDED ORDERS AND STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COUNTY OF ORANGE HEALTH OFFICER REVISED July 1, 2020 In light of the recent increased COVID-19 hospitalization rate in Orange County, the placement of Orange County on the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) County Monitoring List, and further CDPH guidance, these AMENDED ORDERS AND STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS revise the prior AMENDED ORDERS AND STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS, issued by the Orange County Acting Health Officer on June 19, 2020. The June 19, 2020 Amended Orders and Strong Recommendations are no longer in effect as of the effective date and time of these AMENDED ORDERS AND…
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Shreya and Saffron Patel usually FaceTime their grandparents in England every weekend, but during the novel coronavirus pandemic, they have typically reached out each day. Their grandmother on their mom’s side hasn’t left her apartment in nearly four months. She lives alone and can no longer socialize at the gym. Some of her younger friends have stopped by, and she leans out her kitchen window to chat. One friend sends handwritten letters. When the Patel sisters, who live in Boston, spoke to their grandmother, they noticed her mood improve. She texted them about the cards and showed them to her…
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June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month. While COVID-19 and systemic racism continue to profoundly affect our nation, it is important to reflect on the role of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in these unprecedented times. COVID-19 disproportionately impacts people with dementia and their caregivers, and both conditions disproportionately impact people of color. Wall Street Journal | Source: CDC According to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently highlighted in a Wall Street Journal article, approximately 100,000 people died from Alzheimer’s dementia from February through May alone – 18% higher than average. Moreover, the article discusses the pandemic’s abrupt halt to…
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Laughter On Call founder, Dani Klein Modisett, was recently featured in the New York Times. Learn more about the inspiration behind the program here. We could all use a laugh in these uncertain times. If you’re a person with Alzheimer’s disease, a family member, or caregiver, you can join LaughterOnCall for their virtual Lunchtime Laughter meetings, Monday-Friday at 12 PM PST. This webinar offers a light-hearted, engaging way to laugh and cope with feelings of isolation that can come from social distancing. To register, visit https://zoom.us/meeting/register/uZEtdemurzIq_pN_HCQ7TY2I8cpa4NsoGQ OR e-mail info@laughteroncall.com to sign up. LaughterOnCall may record these meetings for quality purposes.
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Today is UCI’s 4th annual Giving Day. Giving Day is an opportunity to support the scientists, students and programs across our great university. During these uncertain times of COVID-19, economic struggles for many, and the confrontation of anti-Black racism, we understand that many are not able to give. For those who are able, we invite you to support critical research to understand and ultimately end brain disease, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease. Through collective action, we can achieve a world without neurodegenerative disorders. Your gift today will accelerate research toward that mission. UCI MIND – Donate to Alzheimer’s…
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Local Supportive Service Families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in California need your help! Advocate to conserve Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS)/Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) programs statewide. You can voice your support by using the elected official contact list and talking points provided by our community partner, Alzheimer’s Orange County. DOWNLOAD ELECTED OFFICIALS LIST DOWNLOAD TALKING POINTS TIMELINE OF CBAS/ADHC CUTS National Research Funding As the current COVID-19 pandemic has shown, continued research is absolutely critical to understanding and responding to diseases, and Alzheimer's is no different. Please take a stand today. Send a message to your members of Congress urging them…
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Please join our community partners, the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement (WAM) founded by Maria Shriver, for The WAM Summit. This summit will cover the latest on women’s brains, Alzheimer’s prevention, and caregiving. WHAT: A one-hour virtual experience WHEN: Thursday, June 25th, 3PM PDT REGISTER: http://bit.ly/WAMSummit
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Social engagement while drinking may be why long-lifers tend to have one to two drinks per day, says University of California, Irvine’s Claudia Kawas, M.D., whose 90+ Study found this sweet spot. … We asked our four longevity experts how studying the oldest of the old had changed their lives. Here are eight changes they’ve made—that you can make too. … Claudia Kawas, M.D., of UC Irvine. Cut back a little on coffee. “I’m a big coffee drinker, and our study showed that 200 to 400 mg of caffeine a day is the sweet spot.” Tries to take the stairs and park…
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Today is Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. On this day in 1865, two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas. They brought news that the war had ended and the enslaved were now free. American and Juneteenth flags | Wikimedia Commons Today, the fight for Black equality continues. Systemic racism continues to affect healthcare, nutritional access, education, and socioeconomic status in Black communities, all of which increase risk for Alzheimer’s disease. This Juneteenth occurs amid the historic Black Lives Matter movement. It reminds…
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Your cloth face covering may protect them. Their cloth face covering may protect you. (CDC) Face coverings must now be worn statewide in indoor public spaces, workplaces, outdoor lines, public transportation and other high-risk settings under guidance issued today by Gov. Newsom and the California Department of Public Health. “We are seeing too many people with faces uncovered – putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease,” Newsom said. “California’s strategy to restart the economy and get people back to work will only be successful if people act safely and follow health recommendations.” The new…
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As COVID-19 cases spread across the state and nation, demand is growing for blood tests to identify people who may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus and developed antibodies to it. Such antibodies may mean these individuals have at least some immunity to the virus, formally named SARS-CoV2, and therefore may be able to return to work and school — and help jump-start the flagging U.S. economy. Results may also help identify COVID-19 antibody-positive people whose blood donations could be used to make convalescent plasma, an investigational treatment for seriously ill COVID-19 patients, according to the U.S. Food & Drug…
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Epidemiology professor Karen Edwards, department of Public HealthSteve Zylius / UCI UCI epidemiologist offers advice on healthy travel, recreation during the pandemic Despite the all-encompassing disruption of the coronavirus pandemic, time marches on, with summer just around the corner. For many, June signals the beginning of vacation season. But as COVID-19 continues to spread, where does summer travel stand? States are reopening and inviting tourists – and their dollars – to return. But is it safe to take a trip? What do we need to know about hotel or Airbnb lodgings? About eating in restaurants? About large public gatherings? Karen…
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Public Health First As our community is opening up, elected officials, governmental entities, community-based organizations, health care providers, educational institutions, businesses, and concerned community members must come together to do more to protect the health and safety of all of us. To prevent the re-closure of businesses and regress in our efforts from these past three months, safe, comprehensive strategies of evidence-based preventative measures is encouraged. Orange County residents need our leaders to stand strong and continue encouraging recommendations from our public health officials in a uniform voice. We understand it’s difficult to support rules that may face some public…
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Resources and information from the UCI School of Medicine Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect, the USC Center for Elder Mistreatment, and the National Center on Elder Abuse. Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEEAD). The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations launched the first WEAAD on June 15, 2006 in an effort to unite communities around the world in raising awareness about elder abuse. Elder abuse is widespread, and older adults living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are especially vulnerable. According to the National…
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UC Health’s Twitter feed now includes daily COVID-19 updates with the number of patients at each UC hospital, maps showing the generalized home locations of recent patients, testing data graphs and more: https://twitter.com/UofCAHealth And the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research has created a data dashboard with information about COVID-19 case and death rates by race and ethnicity: http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/health-profiles/Pages/COVID-19Dashboard.aspx
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Attendees at Acacia Adult Day Services center in Garden Grove play a game after breakfast. The center provides low-income elderly and disabled people meals, medical care, occupational therapy and social programs. Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed eliminating funding for Adult Day Services programs to help cover a $54 billion gap for the 2020-21 fiscal year. (Lauren M. Whaley/Center for Health Reporting) A recent article from the OC Register highlights the critical need for advocacy to save Orange County's senior services. State budget cuts could end adult day care that helps thousands of local families. What can you do to help?…
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UCI MIND is committed to taking action and making a difference for Black lives in research and academia. To start, we want to hear from you, our followers and stakeholders. Please join UCI MIND Director, Dr. Joshua Grill, for a virtual Town Hall this Friday, June 12 @ 9 AM to openly, honestly discuss issues around racism and how UCI MIND can do more and do better during this critical time. To attend Zoom meeting and share in the discussion, please email RSVP to cgcox@uci.edu.
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ASSIST Program pairs future health workers with homebound to address needs and loneliness. Once she starts talking, Geraldine Buchanan admits, she can keep right on going. About to turn 91 on Friday, Buchanan, for now, is a prisoner of the pandemic, stuck inside her Westminster home in an effort to stay safe from the spread of coronavirus. Talking on the phone is an escape. Buchanan’s loquaciousness is OK with Ryan Batten, a 22-year old UC Irvine nursing student who calls her at least once a week. Batten, set to graduate in June, is a good listener, something that figures to…
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Contributed by Christian Salazar, PhD, UCI MIND Project Scientist Racism is once again thrust into our national spotlight by the death of yet another unarmed Black American at the hands of police. Lamentably, the structures that create racism are deeply embedded in our society and have a direct impact on creating and maintaining health inequities. Indeed, numerous studies over decades have shown dramatic and persistent differences in health across racial groups. These disparities are in no small measure byproducts of racism. To combat racialized health disparities, we cannot ignore the multifaceted ways in which racism manifests in our society. We…
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The recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many other people in the Black community are atrocities that both warrant and demand the current national and global response. Sadly, these recent events also serve as a reminder of historical atrocities done to Black people and other diverse communities in the name of science. Researchers, like political leaders, must use this time to further open our minds, our ears, and our hearts to combat racism. Racial and ethnic health disparities permeate our society and Alzheimer’s is no exception. Risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is higher…
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Why are animal models used to study Alzheimer's? Tune in tomorrow to find out! Join UCI MIND for a live Q&A on Facebook with Dr. Frank LaFerla this Friday, June 5th at 11:00-11:30 AM PST: https://facebook.com/UCIrvineMIND/videos/554909168796463/
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The journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, in celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the journal included a list of their 10 most accessed papers of the last year. A manuscript by UCI MIND researchers Hayk Davtyan, Morgan Coburn, David Cribbs, and Mathew Blurton-Jones made the list. Their article, “Testing a MultiTEP-based combination vaccine to reduce Aβ and tau pathology in Tau22/5xFAD bigenic mice” had been accessed by researchers more than 14,000 times! Congratulations to their team. To read more, Dr. Davtyan spoke about the manuscript on page 7 of the Winter 2020 Newsletter.
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Dear Friends of UCI MIND, In light of the current events, UCI has decided to postpone its annual UCI Giving Day - scheduled for today, June 3 - to ensure we are giving space to the important messages that need to be communicated during this uncertain time. On behalf of the faculty and staff at UCI MIND, thank you for your ongoing support in the fight against Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Sincerely, Joshua D. Grill, PhD Director of UCI MIND
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In March, the UCI Medical Center became the first hospital in Orange County to provide COVID-19 testing. In this episode of the UCI Podcast Video Series, UCI MIND faculty member Dr. Ed Monuki, chair of pathology who leads UCI Health’s testing efforts, discusses how the campus came together to address this community need and how future testing for the coronavirus and its antibodies will play an important role with the resumption of our regular daily activities, like going back to work or the classroom. https://youtu.be/U6MJL-KoOrU
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Virtual Gala Benefiting Alzheimer’s Research Join UCI MIND for the 11th Annual A December to Remember Gala benefiting Alzheimer's research at the University of California, Irvine. The virtual event will feature engaging performances, inspiring testimonials, an online auction, and delicious dining options. Mark your calendar for a memorable night at home, all in support of the quest toward a cure. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Linda Scheck at949.824.3251 or LScheck@uci.edu.
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Message from the Director Dear Friends of UCI MIND, Since writing my last message for our Winter 2020 issue, we have all had our worlds turned upside down by COVID-19. At UCI MIND, we have faced challenges and have had to temporarily adapt our research programs. But, I know these challenges pale in comparison to those faced by members of our community. I’m especially concerned about the additional challenges faced by caregivers of people living with dementia, as well as the social isolation physical distancing can bring to older people who are living alone. We are eager to help…
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Dr. Karen Edwards is Professor and Chair of the UCI Department of Epidemiology. Her primary research focus is in genetic epidemiology and the use of multivariate approaches to define phenotypes for complex diseases. Dr. Edwards’ genetic epidemiology research covers a broad range of conditions, including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, melanoma and Parkinson’s Disease. She also studies interactions between environmental factors (particularly diet) and genetic susceptibility (Gene x environment interactions) and several interdisciplinary projects that focus on the ethical, legal or social implications of genomics and applications to clinical and public health practice. Dr. Edwards received a MS in Nutrition…
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Respite care provides short-term relief for primary caregivers. Find out more about how to get support from the National Institute on Aging: https://bit.ly/35YKagz Older adults and caregivers are facing unprecedented challenges as a result of COVID-19, and advocacy for respite care is needed now more than ever. California's revised budget cuts critical funding for programs and services for older adults. It eliminates funding for Community-Based Adult Services, the Multi-purpose Senior Services Program, and reduces funding for In-Home Support Services. The changes proposed will have a tremendous impact on local organizations as well as the community members who depend on them. To…
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Jamie Kamel Jamie Kamel (left) is an 8th Grader at Corona del Mar Middle School who is interested in genetics research and CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology. As part of service credit for Boy Scouts, he interviewed Amanda McQuade, REMIND Co-Chair and Doctoral Candidate, to learn about progress in Alzheimer’s research from the perspective of an up-and-coming scientist: Kamel: How did you become interested in Alzheimer’s disease? How did you get where you are today? McQuade: When I was young, I didn’t know I wanted to study Alzheimer’s disease. I first became interested in genetics and biology when I went…
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UCI MIND faculty member Masashi Kitazawa, PhD comments for Scientific American: "In a field where scientists have spent decades focused on genetics and the buildup of damaged protein fragments called beta-amyloid as causes of the disease...now many experts agree that air pollution plays a major role. This assessment is echoed by Masashi Kitazawa, a toxicologist at the University of California, Irvine, and an expert on environmental toxins. “Genetics is huge in Alzheimer's research, and for years almost no one wanted to look beyond genes,” he says. “But in the past three or four years the number of papers linking air pollution and cognitive decline…
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Hear UCI MIND faculty member and Chair of the UCI Department of Epidemiology, Dr. Karen Edwards, lecture on "Disease Detectives: COVID-19 and Contact Tracing" this Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 12:30 PM. Register here > About Dr. Edwards: Dr. Karen Edwards is Professor and Chair of the UCI Department of Epidemiology. Her primary research focus is in genetic epidemiology and the use of multivariate approaches to define phenotypes for complex diseases. Dr. Edwards’ genetic epidemiology research covers a broad range of conditions, including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, melanoma and Parkinson’s Disease. She also studies interactions between environmental factors (particularly…
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Unique Considerations for Public Health Communities in Various Settings COVID-19 and dementia present unique considerations for public health professionals in a variety of different settings. The livecast series focuses on three settings: Homes and Community-Based Settings, Emergency Departments and Hospitals, and Long-term Care Facilities. Please Register for each Livecast Separately Dementia Vulnerabilities in Homes and Around the Community Monday, May 18 from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. ET REGISTER Dementia Challenges in Emergency Departments and Hospitals Monday, May 18 from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. ET REGISTER Dementia Vulnerabilities in Long-Term Care Settings Tuesday, May 19 from 3:00…
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UCI MIND Faculty member Dr. Edwin Monuki participated in multiple LIVE videos this week to discuss the current state of testing for COVID-19 in Orange County. The presentations were hosted by UCI Stem Cell Research Center and Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, and you can view the videos below: 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“If successful, we hope that treatments such as Aviptadil may change the chances of survival for these patients,” says Dr. Richard Lee, who is leading the trial at UCI. Carlos Puma for UCI Health UCI Health will initiate a clinical study of a drug to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients who face a high mortality rate because of acute inflammation that fills their lungs with fluid, a grave condition that even mechanical ventilation cannot improve. Aviptadil, which has a 20-year history of use in human clinical trials for lung ailments, will be employed in a phase 2b/3 clinical study…
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Irvine, CA - May 12, 2020 - A team of researchers from the University of California, Irvine and San Diego have been awarded $3.8 million by the National Institute on Aging to conduct an epigenomic analysis of neural circuits in the brain. By revealing molecular changes that occur during the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the team hopes to identify new therapeutic targets and molecular biomarkers for early detection and better treatment. The interdisciplinary research team is led by multiple principal investigators, including Xiangmin Xu, PhD, a professor of anatomy and neurobiology and director of the Center for Neural Circuit…
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Dr. Edwin S. Monuki watches microbiology lab scientist Jeanie Garcia process a patient's COVID-19 test sample. Photo Credit: Carlos Puma Read how through the efforts of the UC Irvine Health team, under the leadership of UCI MIND Faculty Member, Dr. Edwin Monuki, the medical center became the first hospital in Orange County to provide in-house COVID-19 testing on March 19 – more than two weeks ahead of schedule. http://www.ucihealth.org/…/racing-to-deliver-covid19-testing Dr. Monuki recently commented on antibody testing for the UCI MIND Blog and will participate in a virtual panel discussion tonight, May 14 at 7 PM PST. Click HERE to register.
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CalOptima, which provides health insurance to Orange County’s low-income residents, announced on Friday, May 8, it is working with UC Irvine and the county Health Care Agency to provide intensive training on infection control to staff at 12 nursing homes. … Dr. Susan Huang, who teaches about infectious diseases at UC Irvine, is working with researchers and clinicians to develop the tools and training, and will measure their effectiveness with diagnostic and antibody testing.
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Contributed by Daniel Nation, PhD, UCI MIND Faculty Member, Associate Professor of Psychological Science at UCI APOE4 is the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Although the predominant view has been that APOE4 conveys risk for Alzheimer’s dementia primarily through its effects on amyloid levels, prior work has also shown that APOE4 has adverse effects on the blood vessels of the brain. In a recent study published in Nature, colleagues at University of Southern California and I demonstrated that APOE4…
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The Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy and the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center have partnered to host a virtual panel of experts discussing COVID-19. The event takes place Thursday, May 14, from 7 to 8 p.m. Four experts, including UCI MIND faculty member Dr. Ed Monuki, will address the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Monuki recently blogged about the state of antibody testing. Hear more on this topic at the virtual panel. Register here. It will be streamed on Facebook at facebook.com/UCIStemCell and on YouTube at https://youtu.be/Pau-eWPE0RY. For further information, contact Judy Baek at Judy.baek@uci.edu
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California’s stay-at-home order has been especially tough for one caregiver population: Family members caring for someone who has dementia. Because of the novel coronavirus, adult daycare centers are closed temporarily and home services have been put on hold, cutting off critical support systems for this group. Here are a few tips from UCI Health for anyone now caring for a family member with dementia, provided by Jung-Ah Lee, PhD, an associate professor at the UCI Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing: Read the full article here >
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UCI has launched the ASSIST Program – Assisting & Serving Socially Isolated Seniors via Telephone. UCI medical and nursing students who have been mobilized received the program training, and are ready to be paired with older adult participants who would like to receive regular check-ins via telephone just to chat and/or to receive referrals to community resources during this difficult time while they are self-isolating. The flyer is linked here and provided below. If interested, please call: (714) 497-0315.
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During this time of uncertainty, communities, businesses and families are being impacted like never before. People are also coming together to help others in unprecedented ways. And while we all are spending more and more time at home, many of us are looking for ways to strengthen our communities while maintaining the current health and safety recommendations from the CDC. I’d like to invite you and your families to make a real difference without leaving your home or opening your wallet. I’m an OC Mom and researcher at UCI MIND. We are seeking volunteers to sign up for our “Consent-to-Contact”…
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Contributed by Christian Salazar, PhD, UCI MIND Project Scientist The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on families all across our country, with 70,000 reported deaths to date. Early in the pandemic the data had suggested that African Americans were being admitted to the hospital and dying in disproportionate numbers. In fact, an analysis by the Washington Post revealed that coronavirus death rates were about six times higher in black majority counties than in white majority counties. More recent data also showed that Latinos and Indigenous groups like the Navajo people were dying in excess numbers. What could explain…
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We could all use a laugh in these uncertain times. If you’re a person with Alzheimer’s disease, a family member, or caregiver, you can join LaughterOnCall for their virtual Lunchtime Laughter meetings, Monday-Friday at 12 PM PST. This webinar offers a light-hearted, engaging way to laugh and cope with feelings of isolation that can come from social distancing. To register, visit https://zoom.us/meeting/register/uZEtdemurzIq_pN_HCQ7TY2I8cpa4NsoGQ OR e-mail info@laughteroncall.com to sign up. LaughterOnCall may record these meetings for quality purposes.
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