Skip to main content

Supporting Research to End Alzheimer’s

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
In 1964, Keith Swayne, then a graduate student at UC Berkeley, went on a blind date with local school teacher Judy Kjellberg. He was head over heels, and just two weeks later, he proposed to her. Over the next 50 years, they raised a son and daughter, pursued their careers and engaged with the Orange County community through nonprofit work. Judy created the Orange County Community Foundation in 1989, laying the groundwork for it to grow into a change-maker with assets today in excess of $400 million, supporting various causes across the region. But during the final decade of their…
Read More

VIDEO: Do all people with Down syndrome get Alzheimer’s disease with Eric Doran, MS

By Commentary, Community Events, COVID-19
ASK THE DOC! UCI MIND Facebook LIVE Video Series This monthly series features short talks and Q&A with experts from the University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), 1 of 32 congressionally designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers in the nation. Join UCI MIND on Facebook (@UCIrvineMIND) to learn about advances in research to improve Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Do all people with Down syndrome get Alzheimer's disease?   About the Speaker: Eric Doran, MS, serves as manager for the UCI Down Syndrome Program, directed by Ira Lott, MD, professor emeritus of pediatrics…
Read More

Delaying medical care can be harmful to older adults

By In the News
Across the country, older adults with acute and chronic conditions have hesitated to visit medical offices, given that people over age 65 are at greater risk for severe illness from exposure to the novel coronavirus outbreak. “Our patients need to know that we’re very protective of their safety,” says Dr. Lisa Gibbs, director of the UCI Health SeniorHealth Center. Photo credit: UCI Health But people with these conditions — such as diabetes, hypertension and heart ailments that require regular monitoring — are also vulnerable to experiencing complications from their underlying disease if care is postponed, says Dr. Lisa Gibbs, medical director…
Read More

Do all people with Down syndrome get Alzheimer’s disease? Ask Eric Doran, MS

By Commentary, Community Events
Do all people with Down syndrome get Alzheimer's disease? Join UCI MIND for a live Q&A on Facebook with Eric Doran, MS this Friday, August 21st at 11:00-11:30 AM PST. How to Attend Live: Login (or create an account) at facebook.com. Click this DIRECT LINK or visit our Facebook page (@UCIrvineMIND) on Friday at 11 AM PST ("Like" and "Follow" our page in advance to receive notifications when we go live). Watch and participate in the live Q&A by typing your questions into the comments box.
Read More

This brain protein may put the brakes on Alzheimer’s

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Considerable: “Scientists have known for a long time that inflammation is a driver of Alzheimer’s disease, but inflammation is complex and involves many factors,” said UCI MIND faculty member Dr. Frank LaFerla, dean of UCI School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, where the research was conducted. “That’s why we decided to look at TOM-1.” … “You can think of TOM-1 as being like the brakes of a car, and the brakes aren’t working for people with Alzheimer's,” LaFerla said. “This research shows that fixing the brakes at the molecular level could provide an entirely new therapeutic…
Read More

UCI scientists get ‘initial hit’ in developing drug to treat COVID-19

By Commentary, COVID-19, In the News
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, almost everyone at UCI – and colleges across the nation – had to abandon campus. But UCI MIND faculty member James Nowick, professor of chemistry, was not a part of that exodus. That’s because his lab, which designs and constructs chemical molecules, had the right equipment to help in the global push to find treatments for COVID-19. A synthetic molecule called a macrocycle created in the laboratory of UCI chemistry professor James Nowick binds onto coronavirus particles and won’t let go. Adam Kreutzer, Rene Gauthier-Butterfield / UCI
Read More

Study: People don’t freak out over Alzheimer’s biomarker data

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
MedPage Today: Is it safe to share Alzheimer's disease biomarker results with older adults who don't have cognitive impairment? In the short-term at least, the answer appears to be "yes," according to a study of Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease (A4) clinical trial candidates. Older Adults who learned they had elevated amyloid levels didn't experience more short-term depression, anxiety, or suicidality than those who learned they didn't have elevated amyloid, reported Joshua Grill, PhD, of University of California, Irvine, and colleagues in JAMA Neurology. ... This may be the largest study to date about delivering Alzheimer's biomarker information to cognitively unimpaired…
Read More

FDA: Beware hand sanitizers tainted with methanol

By Commentary, COVID-19, In the News
Hand sanitizer has become an integral part of the COVID-19 health toolbox, especially when soap and water is not available. However, some brands of hand sanitizers pose a new threat to our health. Increased demand during the pandemic has caused shortages of well-known U.S. brands, and now many new companies are selling hand sanitizer products that contain methanol, commonly known as wood alcohol. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled and imposed import bans on dozens of brands found to contain the toxic chemical. It also is working with major retailers to pull those products off shelves. Methanol…
Read More

UCI MIND awarded $14.4 million NIH grant to continue critical Alzheimer’s disease research, education

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
UCI MIND, the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders at UCI, has been awarded a $14.4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, one of the National Institutes of Health, to sustain critical research and education as Orange County’s only Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. The NIA funds only 32 of these centers at major academic institutions across the U.S. They conduct groundbreaking research to improve the understanding, diagnosis, care and treatment for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. “The value of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center is immeasurable to both the campus and the community,” said Pramod…
Read More