Tuesday, May 3, 2022
Program Schedule
Schedule: April 17th 2025- Crowne Plaza Warwick, RI
8:30am -9:45 am
Registration and Check in/ Light Refreshments/Visit Vendor Tables
9:45am - 10:30 am
Welcome/Open Remarks
Sabina Matos, Lieutenant Governor, State of Rhode Island
Maria Cimini, Executive Director, Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging
Donna McGowan, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association RI Chapter
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RI Alzheimer’s Research Update
Kristen Cusato, Director of Communications, Alzheimer’s Association CT and RI Chapters
10:30 am - 10:45 am
Break/Visit Vendors and Posters
10:45am - 11:45 am
Session 1 - Mechanisms driving Alzheimer’s disease
Cerebral vascular amyloid in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders
Bill van Nostrand, PhD
Co-Executive Director, George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience
Herrmann Professor of Neuroscience
Professor, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of Rhode Island
Cytoskeletal forces, nuclear homeostasis, and dementia: a new "LINC?"
Claudia Fallini, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
Ryan Institute for Neuroscience
University of Rhode Island
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CHI3L1/YKL-40 inflammatory signaling as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease
Alvin Huang, PhD
GLF Translational Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell BIology and
Biochemistry
Center for Translational Neuroscience
Brown University
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11:45 am - 12:00 am
Break/Visit Vendors and Posters
12:00pm - 1:00 pm
Session 2 - Clinical research in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
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Retinal biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease​
Jessica Alber, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Science
University of Rhode Island
Cognitive Neuroscientist, Butler Hospital Memory & Aging Program
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Digital solutions for cognitive screening and promoting earlier diagnosis for older adults in primary care​
Louisa Thompson, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Brown University
What are pragmatic trials? A focus on caregiver support interventions​
Eric Jutkowitz, PhD
Associate Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice
Brown University
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1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch/ Visit Vendors and Posters
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Keynote Address:
​Love, Loss & Resilience: A Caregiver Perspective on Life Lived Alongside Dementia
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Katie Brandt, Director of Caregiver Support Services and Public Relations, Massachusetts General Hospital Frontotemporal Disorders Unit
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2:30pm - 2:45 pm
Break/Visit Vendors and Posters
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
Session 3 - Investigation into Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the community
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Understanding cognitive aging without a neurocognitive disorder: Evidence from two decades of a nationally representative sample
Zachary Kunicki, PhD
Assistant Professor of Health and Human Behavior
Brown University
Ongoing efforts to reduce antipsychotic use in nursing homes among people with dementia
Theresa Shireman, PhD
Professor, Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice and Department of Epidemiology
Director, Center for Gerontology & Healthcare Research
Brown University
The power of preferred music for people living with dementia and their caregivers
Ellen McCreedy, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice
Center for Long-Term Care Quality & Innovation
Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research
Brown University​​
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3:45pm - 4:00 pm
Break/Visit Vendors and Posters
4:00pm - 4:30 pm
Closing Session: Balance, Breath, & Movement
Kathy O'Neel Webster, Owner of ShipShape
This 30-minute session includes seated stretches,strengthening exercises and breathwork to relax and rejuvenate both the caregivers and their families.
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