ADRC News

The post Fragile Science: How the World Forgot and Rediscovered Alzheimer’s Disease appeared first on Penn Memory Center. Continue reading Fragile Science: How the World Forgot and Rediscovered Alzheimer’s Disease

From time to time, the Penn Memory Center will share selected pieces from Making Sense of Alzheimer’s, a project that explores how people understand and live with Alzheimer’s disease. Through essays, stories, and reflections, this series brings forward voices from patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, artists, and writers. Patricia Moss-Vreeland has been researching memory for 20 years. The fruits of this research can be seen in her body of work that relates to memory, including a series of digital prints that was on display at Penn Memory Center, “Layers of Memory: Pigment Prints.” The collection of digital prints bring together in Read More The post Metaphoric experiences of memories appeared first on Penn Memory Center. Continue reading Metaphoric experiences of memories

  The post Sprechstimme: One Artist’s Story of Resistance and Acceptance to Aging appeared first on Penn Memory Center. Continue reading Sprechstimme: One Artist’s Story of Resistance and Acceptance to Aging

From time to time, the Penn Memory Center will share selected pieces from Making Sense of Alzheimer’s, a project that explores how people understand and live with Alzheimer’s disease. Through essays, stories, and reflections, this series brings forward voices from patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, artists, and writers. Cheney Orr had never planned to chronicle his father’s dementia. In the early stages of decline, Cheney was simply doing what he always did: taking photos of the things that were happening around him, of his family. “I didn’t start documenting it intentionally, let’s say. As a photographer, I have my camera with Read More The post Dementia in Focus appeared first on Penn Memory Center. Continue reading Dementia in Focus

For Lauren Fisher, BSN, RN, the path to dementia research began at home, shaped by watching love and caregiving unfold within her own family.   She grew up close to her maternal grandparents and saw how deeply they valued family, connection, and being present for the people they loved. When her grandmother had a stroke and later developed dementia, those values took on a new meaning. With support from their children, her grandfather cared for his wife at home until her passing, doing all he could to preserve her dignity along the way.  That experience left a lasting impression. It showed Fisher Read More The post Meet PMC Clark Scholar Lauren Fisher  appeared first on Penn Memory Center. Continue reading Meet PMC Clark Scholar Lauren Fisher 

Sheina Emrani, PhD, came to dementia research through both science and personal experience. Seeing a family member live with Alzheimer’s disease gave her an early understanding of how deeply cognitive decline can affect an entire family. It also shaped the questions that continue to guide her work today, especially how health, environment, and life circumstances influence the course of disease.  Dr. Emrani is a postdoctoral fellow in the Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and a Clark Scholar at the Penn Memory Center (PMC). As a neuropsychologist, she is interested in why symptoms do not always match what might be expected from disease proteins alone. She studies how other factors, including Read More The post Meet PMC Clark Scholar Sheina Emrani appeared first on Penn Memory Center. Continue reading Meet PMC Clark Scholar Sheina Emrani

For Anil Wadhwani, MD, PhD, dementia research begins with a question that feels both scientific and deeply human: Why do some people stay cognitively strong later in life while others experience substantial decline? At the Penn Memory Center (PMC), that question shapes his work as a Clark Scholar and reflects his interest in both what makes the brain vulnerable and what helps it stay resilient.  As a neurologist, Dr. Wadhwani sees the impact of neurodegenerative disease up close in the lives of patients and families. As a scientist, he is driven by the idea that studying resilience alongside disease may open the door to better Read More The post Meet PMC Clark Scholar Anil Wadhwani appeared first on Penn Memory Center. Continue reading Meet PMC Clark Scholar Anil Wadhwani

Exercise is one of the greatest things we can do for longevity and, according to Dr. Art Kramer, it’s never too late to start. On this episode of The Age of Aging, we look at one of the most accessible forms of exercise: running. We hear from competitive older runners about how they started, what keeps them going, and what running has given them over time. The post “Make Way for the Masters”: Exercising with Heart in Mind appeared first on Penn Memory Center. Continue reading “Make Way for the Masters”: Exercising with Heart in Mind

How do you grieve someone who is still standing in front of you? In this episode, we go beyond the medical diagnosis to explore Ambiguous Loss, the “long goodbye” that defines the dementia experience. It is a journey of grieving every day while the person you love is still living. Inside this episode: 2:59 – “I Want to Go Home”: Dr. Jason Karlawish uses poetry to dissect a fading mind. 12:01 – From Partner to Solo Parent: Eileen Ware’s journey with her husband Steve’s early-onset Alzheimer’s. 20:15 – Finding the Words: Dr. Cindy Weinstein on reclaiming her relationship with her father while grieving for 15 Read More The post Ambiguous Loss: Dementia, Caregiving, and the Long Goodbye appeared first on Penn Memory Center. Continue reading Ambiguous Loss: Dementia, Caregiving, and the Long Goodbye

The Penn Memory Center (PMC) sits at the intersection of rigorous science and compassionate care. For Holly Elser, MD, PhD, that intersection is where she finds her professional purpose. As both a Clinical Fellow in cognitive and behavioral neurology and a Clark Scholar, Dr. Elser is dedicated to understanding both the biological mechanisms of dementia and the deeply personal experiences of the families navigating it.  Dr. Elser’s approach to medicine has always been defined by a simple principle: she is more interested in the patient who has the disease than the disease itself. This perspective is what drew her to cognitive neurology, a Read More The post Meet PMC Clinical Fellow and Clark Scholar Holly Elser  appeared first on Penn Memory Center. Continue reading Meet PMC Clinical Fellow and Clark Scholar Holly Elser