Can dementia be treated or prevented?
The event, which is free and open to the URI community and
the public, is part of the URI Retired Faculty Association’s speaker series. It
is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and refreshments will be provided by
Belmont Market.
The guest speakers will include John Robinson, Thomas M. Ryan professor of neuroscience, co-executive director of the URI George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, professor of psychology, and professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences; and Joseph Schrader, assistant professor at the URI George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, assistant professor of pharmacy practice and clinical research.
Schrader will provide an overview of current drug development efforts for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD), a brief overview of the development process and current strategic focuses in the field, as well as a discussion of newly approved clinical tools for ADRD treatment.
“I’m hoping the audience will gain an appreciation for the
development process, knowledge on where the field is, where there is reason for
cautious optimism, and how to balance this optimism in the context of
remaining challenges,” said Schrader.
Robinson will speak about nutraceuticals that are marketed as promoting healthy brain aging and enhancing cognition. The two professors will contrast the process by which pharmaceuticals are approved versus the much less stringent process involved in bringing a purported nutraceutical to the shelves.
Time will be reserved for the audience to ask Robinson and
Schrader questions.
“After the session, we are hoping the audience feels better
informed for having conversations about medications with their health support
teams and be discerning about products marketed to them as brain health or
cognition enhancers,” said Robinson.
Registration is not required, but those planning to attend
are asked to indicate so by emailing aging@uri.edu.
Parking is available in the lot off Briar Lane, behind the welcome center.
The URI Retired Faculty Association held two previous events
in the speaker series. The first one was on healthy brain aging and exercise,
presented last fall by Robinson and Christie Ward-Ritacco, an associate
professor in the Department of Kinesiology. Last spring, Robinson paired up
with Maya Vadiveloo, associate professor from the Department of Nutrition, to
discuss healthy brain aging and diet.
