BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer's

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What happens when your carefully mapped career path collides with an Alzheimer's diagnosis — and you're only 26? In this deeply personal episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, host Meryl Comer sits down with Jessica Guthrie, founder of the online platform Career and Caregiving Collide, whose life changed forever when her mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzhei...

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Alzheimer's disease is no longer just a memory problem — it's a biological, cultural, and ethical challenge reshaping how we think about aging, identity, and medicine. In this episode of Brainstorm by UsAgainstAlzheimers, host Meryl Comer sits down with Dr. Jason Karlawish, professor of medicine, medical ethics, health policy, and neurology at the University of Pennsylvani...

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In honor of Black History Month, this episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s explores the critical intersection of Alzheimer's disease and health equity in African-American communities. Host Meryl Comer talks with Daphne Delgado, Vice President for Health Equity at UsAgainstAlzheimer's, and Dr. Charlene Whitaker-Brown, a clinical nursing professor and 2022 Brain Hea...

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This episode of BrainStorm, by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, features host Meryl Comer interviewing Leah Fisher, a psychotherapist and author who took a bold year-long solo travel sabbatical at age 60 to explore different cultures while maintaining her marriage. The conversation takes a poignant turn as Fisher reveals that after the events in her book, she received an MCI (Mild Cognitive Im...

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BrainStorm guest Vradenburg, Chairman and Founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer's, sits down with host Meryl Comer for a comprehensive look at the state of Alzheimer's research, advocacy, and care in 2025.

Vradenburg addresses critical challenges facing the Alzheimer's community, including threats to NIH funding and the impact of funding instability on researchers and clinical...

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Ep 99: The Future of Alzheimer's Trials: AI, Biomarkers, and Remote Research – John Dwyer, CEO of The Global Alzheimer’s Platform

In part 2 John Dwyer, CEO of the Global Alzheimer's Platform (GAP), and BrainStorm host Meryl Comer discuss transforming Alzheimer's research and clinical trials. Dwyer shares how the field is shifting toward earlier intervention and leverag...

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The quest to speed up clinical trials is personal for John Dwyer, CEO of the Global Alzheimer's Platform (GAP). A long-time UsA2 advocate, he’s been motivated by the generations of family members lost to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Dwyer shares with BrainStorm host Meryl Comer the critical challenges of NIH funding cuts by the Trump Administration, forcing ma...

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Diane Rehm, the legendary 89-year-old NPR talk show host, discusses her passionate advocacy for medical aid in dying with BrainStorm host, Meryl Comer. Rehm’s view was shaped by her husband John's difficult death from Parkinson's disease and the experience transformed her into a fierce advocate for end-of-life autonomy. She's adamant that if diagnosed with serious ill...

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Dr. Rachel Buckley discusses the critical link between menopause and Alzheimer's risk in women with BrainStorm host Meryl Comer. Dr. Buckley explains that early menopause can be associated with faster cognitive decline and higher tau levels in the brain. She emphasizes the importance of timing for hormone replacement therapy and how estrogen plays a vital role in brain health t...

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Dr. Rachel Buckley of Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School discusses groundbreaking research revealing stark sex differences in Alzheimer's disease with BrainStorm host Meryl Comer. Her studies found that while men and women show similar levels of amyloid protein, women consistently display significantly higher levels of tau. This discovery has sparked a $50 million...

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In this deeply moving episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, Emma Heming Willis shares her intimate journey as a caregiver to her husband Bruce Willis, who lives with frontotemporal dementia. Their conversation covers the progression from early warning signs to diagnosis and the complex decisions required in caregiving - including the heartbreaking but necessary choice to ha...

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In this episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Dr. Jonathan Rosand, co-founder of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Harvard discusses his revolutionary approach to preventing brain diseases before they start with host Meryl Comer. Dr. Rosand explains how his work originated from his experience treating severe brain injuries, where he witnessed patients and their families...

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In this episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Dr. Carolyn Clevenger, Founder and Director of Emory's innovative Integrated Memory Care Clinic continues to explore the complex realities of Alzheimer's caregiving with host Meryl Comer. Dr. Clevenger shares her expertise on recognizing when families need additional support, managing behavioral symptoms without over-me...

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In this episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer's, host Meryl Comer explores the critical issue of agitation in dementia care with Dr. Carolyn Clevenger, Founder and Director of Emory's Integrated Memory Care Clinic. Dr. Clevenger provides practical advice for caregivers, emphasizing that documentation of behaviors and triggers is crucial, and that caregivers must lear...

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What's the purpose of a long life if our brains can't enjoy it? Paul Irving, Senior Advisor at the Milken Institute on the Future of Longevity and Dean of Faculty at USC's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, challenges conventional thinking about aging and longevity in a conversation with host, Meryl Comer. Together they address the critical distinction between longe...

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In this episode of BrainStorm, Paul Irving discusses the PBS documentary produced by Bradley Cooper called Caregiving with host Meryl Comer. Their conversation centers on the widespread impact of caregiving in America, where over 53 million people provide unpaid care for loved ones with conditions like Alzheimer's. Irving emphasizes that caregiving is a universal human experien...

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In this episode of BrainStorm, host Meryl Comer talks with Jay Reinstein, a former assistant city manager in North Carolina, about his 12 to15-month journey involving neuropsychological testing and brain scans before being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at age 57. Rather than retreat from public life, Jay transformed his diagnosis into a platform for advocacy, serving o...

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In this episode of BrainStorm Nancy Treaster, a certified caregiving advocate and co-host of The Caregiver's Journey podcast, shares her professional and personal experiences with host Meryl Comer. Their conversation focuses on agitation, one of the most challenging aspects of dementia care, affecting more than half of all Alzheimer’s patients in terms of quality of life while ...

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This episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer's features Muffy Walker, a psychiatric nurse, and founder of the International Bipolar Foundation.  Her new novel Memory Weavers is based on her professional and personal experiences caring for family members with Alzheimer's disease and issues of mental illness that inspire her advocacy work. Her novel explores how one pers...