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June 2023

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[5 Minute Read]

Attendees gathered on Thursday, May 11 for the 29th Annual Alzheimer Day, an event hosted by the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease to showcase dementia and aging research conducted throughout Northwestern and bring those discoveries to the community.


Robert Vassar, PhD, the Davee Professor of Alzheimer Research and professor of Neurology and of Cell and Developmental Biology, director of the Mesulam Center and scientific director of Behavioral Neurology in the Department of Neurology, welcomed attendees to the event. The keynote Mendelson Lecture was delivered by William Jagust, MD, professor of Neuroscience and of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. He shared an overview of current research into the link between the protein tau, amyloid beta peptides in the brain, and the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.


Following the lecture, community members had the chance to pose questions to a panel of local and Northwestern experts on community-academic partnerships in brain health research. The day concluded with lunch, a vendor fair, and research poster session.

Read the Full Event Recap

If you were unable to attend the event or would like revisit any content from the day, you may view our Virtual Research Showcase or watch recordings of the morning sessions.

[5 Minute Read]

If you’ve spent time around the Mesulam Center this year, you may have had the pleasure of running into Donte Garcia, a current student at the Northwestern University Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (NU PREP).  


NU PREP is a one-year course that provides enhanced research training, academic support, and mentoring to recent postbaccalaureate students, like Donte, who are planning to apply to PhD programs in biomedical research. It is designed to prepare its trainees for competitive admissions to graduate school and success thereafter. 

Read the Full Article

[2 Minute Read]

Meet Jaiashre Sridhar, a research data analyst at the Mesulam Center. After attending PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore, India, for her undergraduate studies, Sridhar traveled to Texas to complete her master’s at the University of Texas at Dallas. At the Mesulam Center, she analyzes imaging data to improve

the understanding of brain volume and function decline in people living with primary progressive aphasia.

Learn More About Jaiashre

Upcoming Events with Community Partners

South Loop Virtual Memory Café: Why We Celebrate Juneteenth

June 27, 2:00 - 3:00 PM

Join the South Loop Village and the Mesulam Center for the monthly Virtual Memory Café. These free virtual social gathering are for persons living with dementia and their family, friends, and care partners. Meetings are held via Zoom every fourth Tuesday of the month. RSVP here

South Loop Memory Café: Fun in the Sun

July 13, 3:00 - 4:00 PM

The South Loop Village Memory Café is a free monthly social gathering for persons living with dementia and their family, friends, and care partners. Meetings are in-person at the Second Presbyterian Church in Fellowship Hall. They are hosted every second Thursday of the month. 

Healthy Aging Summer Series

Wednesdays, 1:00 - 2:30 PM

In collaboration with the Mesulam Center and community partners, the South Loop Village is hosting a Healthy Aging Summer Series at Hall Library (4801 S. Michigan, Chicago, IL). Below are some upcoming events in the series:


June 28: Wellness, Yoga and Breathe Work with Woke Chicago

Join us for senior chair yoga and breath work with Diana of Woke Chicago. By utilizing a stable chair to provide support to a yoga practice, we will work on flexibility, increasing or maintaining range of motion, and most importantly having fun with it.


July 12: Stress Management Workshop

Stress is everywhere, all around, all the time! Join the South Loop Village to learn about the causes of stress, how to recognize them and most importantly how to manage stress. Register here.

CURED Screening

June 27, 4:30 PM

As part of their celebration of Pride Month, Northwestern’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Clinical Psychology Program are pleased to announce a private screening of CURED, an award-winning documentary that highlights a pivotal but little-known moment in LGBTQ history when activists and psychiatrists challenged a formidable institution — and won a crucial victory in the modern movement for LGBTQ equality and dignity. There are virtual and in-person viewing options. Learn more and register.

BFit: Fresh Moves Mobile Market & Boxville Vitals @ Boxville

June 29, 2:00 – 3:00 PM

The Mesulam Center will be at Boxville Mobile Market Days (330 East 51st Street Chicago, IL). Stop by for fresh, locally-grown produce, pantry staples like pasta and bread, and other items. $10 vouchers are available! Complimentary blood pressure checks are provided by UIC.

News & Announcements

Scientists Reveal the Function of Mysterious Brain Region

[2 Minute Read]

While investigating a unique brain condition, researchers uncovered the functions of a region on the surface of the brain that has remained a scientific mystery for nearly 100 years. In a recent study published in the Annals of Neurology, Mesulam Center researchers were able to identify its function by investigating 28 people with a rare disease that damages the temporal pole called TDP-C.

Case Study Reveals Potentially Lethal Side Effects of Lecanemab for Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

[5 Minute Read]

In a noteworthy case study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, investigators report autopsy findings in a 65-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) who received three open label infusions of the experimental anti-amyloid beta (Aβ) antibody drug lecanemab. Members of the Mesulam Center spoke on the findings and potential implications of the drug. 

Alzheimer’s doctors see promise, limits in Lilly’s latest drug data

[7 Minute Read]

To investors, the recent news from Eli Lilly was clear-cut. One of the company’s most closely watched drugs, an experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, had hit every major goal of a large clinical trial evaluating whether it could slow the neurodegenerative disease. Analysts now expect these results to get the drug, named donanemab, approved, handing Lilly what could be another blockbuster product.

Do the New Alzheimer’s Treatments Cause the Brain to Shrink?

[5 Minute Read]

Anti-amyloid therapies reduce plaques and tangles in the brain, but a new study links them to reduced brain volume. What does that mean for people taking the drugs? Rudolph Castellani, MD discussed potential implications of new Alzheimer's drugs. 

What SuperAgers show us about longevity, cognitive health as we age

[6 Minute Read]

Aging often comes with cognitive decline, but “SuperAgers” are showing us what is possible in our golden years. “These are like the Betty Whites of the world,” Emily Rogalski said. She was part of the research team that coined the term “SuperAgers” 15 years ago. It describes people older than 80 whose memory is as good as those 20 to 30 years younger, if not better.

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