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Last month, Northwestern University Professor Sandra Weintraub, PhD, hosted a brain health education session at Ellis Park where participants learned about how movement, nutrition, and social connection play a role in healthy cognitive and brain aging.
The session facilitated an open discussion around memory change and dementia, resulting in participants candidly sharing their own experiences. Attendees left with practical insights and an appetite for more educational sessions.
The Mesulam Institute is proud to partner with the Chicago Park District. We look forward to empowering our community through future programming on cognitive well-being.
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Music and science go hand-in-hand. At the Institute, researchers use musical intervention as a treatment option for individuals with dementia and caregivers.
Last month, Borna Bonakdarpour, MD, sat down with The New York Times, offering insights on a music program for individuals living with neurocognitive disorders at the Het Concertgebouw concert hall in Amsterdam.
The interview shed light on where music-based dementia intervention stands today.
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Ian Grant, MD, cognitive-behavioral neurologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, spoke to National Geographic about the link between Alzheimer's Disease and cancer last month.
The article discussed why individuals with cancer present a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease, in light of a new finding linking both illnesses to a shared biological pathway.
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Join us on May 19, 2026 at the Feinberg Pavilion Conference Center for a day dedicated to aging and dementia research at Northwestern University.
We are proud to host Paul Aisen, MD, Director of the Epstein Family Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute at the University of Southern California, as this year’s Mendelson Keynote Speaker.
Registration opens on March 2, 2026. Be sure to secure your spot.
| | Chicago Public Library Collaboration | | |
Understanding Memory Loss: A Beginner's Guide
Join Northwestern University Cognitive Neuroscientist Elena Barbieri, PhD, for a community education session focusing on the differences between dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, in addition to best practices for brain health.
When: Saturday, March 21, 2026
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Where: Legler Regional Library
115 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60624
For more information, please contact Dani Chitwood.
| | Multidisciplinary Cognitive Health Panel | | Sandra Weintraub, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and associate director Northwestern Alzheimer's Disease Research Center | | Jennifer Woodward, MD, assistant professor of medicine and geriatric physician at Northwestern Medicine | | Treasyri Williams Wood, SLPD, CCC-SLP/L, founder and CEO Willwood Consulting Services | | Ian Grant, MD, assistant professor of neurology at the Northwestern Medicine Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease | | |
Lauren Dowden, MSW, LCSW,
clinical social worker at the Northwestern Medicine Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease
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When Memory Changes: Myth and Truth
The Mesulam Institute is proud to host a cognitive health panel session in collaboration with the Apostolic Faith community.
Researchers and clinicians will facilitate a discussion dispelling common dementia myths and share ways to support those living with dementia and their care partners.
When: Saturday, March 7, 2026
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Where: Apostolic Faith Church
3823 S. Indiana Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60653
For more information, please contact Dani Chitwood.
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Rosenwald Chat: Dementia Friends Training
Join Mesulam Institute Senior Community Engagement Coordinator Ingrid Fowler-Wrather for a community chat on increasing dementia awareness.
The session will include a Dementia Friends training, focusing on reducing stigma and empowering individuals to better support people living with dementia and their caregivers.
When: Tuesday, March 17, 2026
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Where: Rosenwald Courts Apartments
4642 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60653
For more information, please contact Ingrid Fowler-Wrather.
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Northwestern Music and Medicine Program
Musical Museum: Hungrytown on Tour
The Northwestern Music and Medicine Program is proud to host Hungrytown, touring folk duo from Vermont, for its March Musical Museum installation.
The program will be followed by a reception with refreshments.
When: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Where: Simpson Querrey Auditorium
303 E. Superior St.
Chicago, IL 60611
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Memory Lane: Community Connections with Ingrid
Because the science of brain health starts with the stories we live.
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Becoming A Caregiver
Who Deserves The Credit: Nature or Nurture?
Vol. 2 Ed. 2
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I was often told how lucky my mother was to have me as her caregiver, but I always felt it was the other way around. I come from a long line of caregivers on both sides of my family, so caring for others was familiar, learned early, and never something I questioned.
But caregiving does not begin the same way for everyone.
For some, stepping into caregiving — particularly when it is unexpected — can feel overwhelming and, at times, unfair. The responsibility can arrive suddenly holding little to no space for preparation.
When caregiving is assumed to come naturally, those who struggle with the responsibility may feel isolated or unprepared. Often learning as they go, while juggling their own emotional and physical demands becomes a balancing act.
However, both experiences are valid. Neither deserves judgment, and neither should be navigated alone.
This is where community matters most. Community creates space for shared learning, mutual support, and relief from isolation. It allows an exchange of caregiving knowledge rather than assuming it as an innate skill. It offers structure for those still finding their footing and connection for those who have long carried the role.
Through my work with the Mesulam Institute, I see how community-based programs support caregivers at every stage. Memory cafés create welcoming environments where caregivers and individuals living with memory loss can connect without pressure. Educational opportunities and virtual resources provide access to information and support in ways that meet people where they are. These spaces do not assume expertise. They help build it.
Caregiving does not have to be instinctive to be meaningful, but it does need support to be sustainable.
As we continue this work, my hope is that we recognize caregiving as something shaped by history, circumstance, and community. When we make room for all realities, we strengthen caregivers and the networks that hold them.
| | Want to connect? Email me to learn more about our work or visit our website. | | |
Anatomical progression of neuropathology in FTLD-TDP Type C and linkage to annexin A11. Kawles, A., Nelson, C., Ayala, I., Barbieri, E., Castellani, R., Geula, C., Gefen, T., & Mesulam, M. M. (2025a, November 26). Annals of neurology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12704552/
Atrophy progression in frontotemporal lobar degeneration-TDP-C with primary progressive aphasia. Barbieri, E., Kawles, A., Los M. Behn J., Geula, C., Gefen, T., Weintraub, S., Mesulam, M.M., (n.d.). Brain : a journal of neurology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41032666/
Dendritic location of dystrophic neurites in FTLD-TDP Type C with annexinopathy. Kawles A., Zouridakis A., Nelson C., Keszycki R., Minogue G., Macomber A., Jamshidi P., Castellani RJ., Geula C., Gefen T., Mesulam M. M. (n.d.). Brain pathology (Zurich, Switzerland). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40701827/
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