A Message to our Community
Along with our usual E-Newsletter content, we wanted to update you on the current status of our clinic, research and community programs, and offer a few resources to learn more about COVID-19 and how to cope while living with memory loss or dementia or caring for someone with memory loss or dementia. From all of us here at the UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center, we wish you well during these challenging times!
UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center Status Updates
- The UW Memory and Brain Wellness Clinic at Harborview remains open for the needs of our patients. We are striving to do as much as possible by phone and video conferencing. If you have an upcoming appointment, you can expect a call to discuss what visit format is best.
- The UW Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center has suspended in-person visits at this time for the Clinical Core longitudinal study and clinical trials. The research team is conducting telephone interviews for necessary follow up visits with currently enrolled participants. Your health is our number one priority and suspending in-person visits is one way to help protect you and your families. If you have questions or concerns, please email the research team at uwadrc@uw.edu or call 206-744-0588.
- In-person MBWC Community Programs and Events are on hold until further notice. Powerful Tools for Caregivers, scheduled for April, is now happening in a virtual format (videoconferencing or phone). Meanwhile, we are offering a variety of virtual support and education options in April, tailored toward the experience of living with memory loss or caregiving in this time of COVID-19. Scroll down for more info!
General information on COVID-19 and keeping yourself healthy:
Resources for persons with dementia:
Resources for caregivers:
Resources for staying active, connected and calm while at home:
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 The Importance of Nature in Times of Social Distancing
At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science ( AAAS), MBWC's Dr. Carolyn Parsey, PhD, served as a panelist in the session “Transforming Global and Public Health Through Nature,” as part of the UW Nature and Health initiative. She reflects on the special role that nature experiences have in our physical and mental health during stressful times. Read on... |
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 What is Palliative Care? A Q&A with Dr. Lee Burnside
In an interview with the Alzheimer's Association Washington State Chapter, MBWC's Dr. Lee Burnside, MD, MBA, discusses the role of palliative care for people living with dementia. He is a geriatrician and palliative care physician in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of Washington. He has had a longtime interest in caring for and improving the lives of persons with dementia and their family, friends and community.
"The quick answer that I often give is “palliative care is a branch of medicine that tries to make things better when we cannot fix the underlying problem.” Read on...
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UPCOMING PROGRAMS
A special opportunity to take the Powerful Tools for Caregivers course online or by phone!
Register for Spring Session here or
call Marigrace at 206-744-2017
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Staying Well, Connected & Engaged during COVID-19
Join the UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center in April for virtual support groups and community talks focused on coping in the midst of COVID-19. Participate online or by phone, with a free application called "Zoom."
VIRTUAL COFFEE CHAT for people with memory loss/dementia
Tuesday, April 7, 10 - 11 a.m. Make a cup of coffee or tea, and come together for an informal social time with others living with memory loss or dementia. Share how you're coping in the midst of COVID-19, or offer an encouraging story or bit of humor to lift each other's spirits. Facilitated by program manager Marigrace Becker. Space is limited; sign up by the day before.
Sign Up Here
VIRTUAL CAREGIVER FORUMS
Every Monday, 10 - 11 a.m., come together with other family caregivers to discuss caring for a loved one in this time of COVID-19. Make meaningful connections, offer mutual support, and discover strategies that work for others. Facilitated by clinic social worker Karen Clay and program manager Marigrace Becker. Space is limited to 20 participants; sign up by the day before. Join for just one session, or multiple. Session themes are below.
- 10 a.m. Monday, April 6: Supporting a Loved One at Home - Safety and Wellbeing.
- 10 a.m. Monday, April 13: Supporting a Loved One at Home - Staying Active and Connected.
- 10 a.m. Monday, April 20: Supporting a Loved One at a Memory Care Facility.
- 10 a.m. Monday, April 27: Taking Care of YOU - Coping with Stress and Difficulty Emotions.
COMMUNITY WELLNESS TALKS
Join us for a brief presentation and Q&A from 1 - 1:45 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday in April, on various topics related to "living well" in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. These talks are for people with memory loss, family caregivers, and the general public, and feature MBWC providers.
- Friday, April 3: "Dementia Caregiving in the Midst of Covid-19 - Health, Safety and Communication" with ARNP Elisabeth Lindley.
- Wednesday, April 8: Staying Connected During Social Distancing with neuropsychologist Carolyn Parsey, PhD.
- Friday, April 10: Home Workouts 101 – Staying Active with or without a Home Gym with neuropsychologist Carolyn Parsey, PhD.
- Wednesday, April 15: “Just Relax” – Far More Helpful Strategies for Stress Management with neuropsychologist Carolyn Parsey, PhD.
- Friday, April 17: Info-Savvy – Staying Sane in the Era of Information Overload with neuropsychologist Carolyn Parsey, PhD.
- Wednesday, April 22: Mind over Matter – Cognitively-stimulating activities for everyone with neuropsychologist Carolyn Parsey, PhD.
- Friday, April 24: Doing Good from a Distance with neuropsychologist Carolyn Parsey, PhD.
- *Wednesday, April 29: Enjoying the Arts from Home with neuropsychologist Carolyn Parsey, PhD. [*Note: this session is at 10 a.m. rather than 1 p.m.]
- Friday, May 1: Virtual Nature for the Soul with neuropsychologist Carolyn Parsey, PhD.
For more information, contact Marigrace Becker, 206-744-2017, mbecker1@uw.edu.
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Annual Momentia Talent Share event - Now VIRTUAL! This special event is an opportunity for people with memory loss and their family members to be creative, have fun, and let your talents shine. This year, the event will happen by video or by phone, using a platform called Zoom. Sign up to share a talent like a poem, song or piece of art, or just come watch! Organized by Seattle Parks and Recreation, Greenwood Senior Center, UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center, Taproot Theatre, The Art of Alzheimer's and other Momentia partners. Saturday, April 18, 2 - 3 p.m. Sign up here to attend (by video or phone), or to share a talent.
Enjoy local museums, arts and recreation from the comfort of your own home:
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FAQs for Research During the Stay Home, Stay Healthy Time Period
The UW Office of Research has compiled a list of FAQs related to aspects of the Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Health directive.
NIA Featured Research
New UW ADRC Supported Publications
Funding & Educational Opportunities
The ACL Releases New Alzheimer’s and Dementia Program Cooperative Agreement Grant Opportunity
ACL's Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative (ADPI) funding announcement seeks to support and promote the development and expansion of dementia-capable home and community-based service (HCBS) systems in states and communities. Applications due April 22, 2020. View on grants.gov (HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-ADPI-0379)
2020
James S. McDonnell Foundation Opportunity Awards
The James S. McDonnell Foundation announces a new funding opportunity in 2020 encouraging researchers to pursue important questions using conceptual and methodological approaches informed by biological and experiential trajectories contributing to the ongoing development of cognition and behavior across the lifespan. The new JSMF Opportunity Awards provide up to $250,000 in seed funds expendable over a flexible time period (between 2 and 4 years) as needed by researchers to design and carry out studies motivated by questioning, revisiting, or re-examining the current state of academic knowledge of human cognition and behavior using a dynamic, context-sensitive lens.
The deadline for applications is April 14, 2020. More information about the program and application guidelines can be found on the JSMF Opportunity Awards web page.
NIH Accepting Applications for New Career Development Award
NIH is accepting applications for a new career development award: The MOSAIC K99/R00. This award will kick-start careers of investigators from diverse backgrounds. NIH efforts to enhance diversity have focused on earlier training stages, with programs for undergraduates and predocs. The Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) awards bring these efforts into later career stages. For more information, please visit https://edgeforscholars.org/nih-offers-new-type-of-k99-r00/.
Maude’s Awards for Innovation in Alzheimer’s Care Open to all, Maude’s Awards, a program of the Richard and Maude Ferry Foundation, makes eight annual awards – three $25,000 awards to organizations and five $5,000 awards to individuals – for innovations excelling in one of four categories of care. For more information about Maude’s Awards and award categories, visit www.maudesawards.org. Now accepting applications.
Resources
Accelerating Medicines Partnership launches data knowledge portal for Parkinson’s disease
The Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) program for Parkinson’s disease (PD) has launched a data portal to provide de-identified information collected from 4,298 PD patients and healthy controls to researchers working to develop effective therapies for the disease. The portal enables researchers to study complex data sets and perform genome-wide analyses at a scale previously impossible.
Using ADRC and Related Resources
The ADRC has a new website page for researchers. We hope to help researchers, especially those new to the ADRD field, effectively utilize these rich resources and expertise in basic and translation science, clinical and population/epidemiological research, big data and animal models.
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April 3, 9am -10am
RIPS: Neuropathology Research in Progress Seminar: Connecting mTOR to tauopathy in genetically diverse fruit flies.
ZOOM https://uw-phi.zoom.us/j/8840436547
Presenter: Mitchell B. Lee, PhD, Senior Fellow, Promislow Lab/ Fellow, Alzheimer’s Disease Training Program, UW Pathology
*Of interest to UW Neuropathology researchers and students.
UW Alzheimer's Training Program website:
http://depts.washington.edu/mbwc/adrc/page/alzheimers-disease-training-program
April 7, 9 - 10:30am
ADRC Clinicopathological Correlation Conference
Location: (Await Update)
April 24th 9-10 am
Meeting: Alzheimer's Disease Research Network of WA State
The Alzheimer’s Disease Research Network of Washington State, an UW MBWC-led project of the WA State Dementia Action Collaborative, is a quarterly teleconference to connect researchers in WA under the broad AD scope, such as basic science, animal models, clinical trials, translational studies.
For details and participation info, contact: Jamie Teuteberg, Jamie (HCA) at jamie.teuteberg@hca.wa.gov
June 25, 7:30am – 4:00pm (New date!)
Discovery Conference 2020 (health care professionals)
The Alzheimer’s Association Washington State Chapter volunteers, staff, Discovery 2020 sponsors, exhibitors and presenters, are proud to offer an enriching day of evidence-based education, professional growth, resources and networking opportunities, for health care professionals. MBWC's Dr. Kris Rhoads, PhD, will be a speaker, as well as UW's Tatiana Sadak, PhD, and Susan McCurry, PhD.
Location: Lynnwood Convention Center, 3711 196th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036
Details
*Of interest to healthcare professionals
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SAVE THE DATE!
8th Annual ACT Research Symposium
August 17-18, 2020
Washington State Convention Center
Please save the date for the 2020 ACT Symposium! The registration website and call for abstracts will open in April 2020.
Funding for this conference was made possible, in part by 1R13AG057087-01 from NIA.
For any questions, please contact at KPWA.ACTproposals@kp.org
13TH Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) -
November 4-7, 2020 - Boston, MA More info
International LBD Conference
Researchers interested in Lewy Body Dementia can plan far in advance for the next International LBD Conference, to be held June 16-18, 2021 in Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K
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