BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer's
Episodes
194 episodes
Ep 107: Peak Brain Performance at Any Age: The Case Against Cognitive Decline with Sandra Bond Chapman (part 1)
What if you could train your brain to outperform the very biomarkers that signal Alzheimer's risk? In this episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s host Meryl Comer sits down with Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, founder of the Center for Brain He...
Brain Health Journey: Navigating Genetic Risk and the Power of Knowing
In part one of a series on UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Brain Health Journey host Meryl Comer is joined by Nancy Meserve, a lived experience advisor and APOE4 double-carrier, and Catherine Patterson, interim COO of UsAgainstAlzheimer's. Their conversat...
Ep 105: Chipping Away at the Crisis (Part 2) - Navigating Alzheimer’s from Diagnosis to Care with Dr. Jason Karlawish
Host Meryl Comer continues her conversation with Dr. Jason Karlawish, professor of medicine, medical ethics, and neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, about the evolving landscape of Alzheimer's disease. Drawing on his book The Probl...
Ep 104: Promoted and Caregiving - The Reality Young Professionals Don't Talk About
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 ...
Ep 103: Chipping Away at the Crisis - A New Era in Alzheimer's Diagnosis and Treatment with Dr. Jason Karlawish
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 Co...
Ep 102: Bridging the Gap: Nurses Leading the Fight for Alzheimer's Health Equity
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 Pr...
Ep 101: The Marriage Sabbatical - Finding Love and Living with MCI with Leah Fisher
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...
Ep 100: 2025 Year in Review and Predictions for 2026 with George Vradenburg
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...
Ep 99: The Future of Alzheimer's Trials: AI, Biomarkers, and Remote Research – John Dwyer, CEO of The Global Alzheimer’s Platform (part 2)
Ep 99: The Future of Alzheimer's Trials: AI, Biomarkers, and Remote Research – John Dwyer, CEO of The Global Alzheimer’s PlatformIn part 2 John Dwyer, CEO of the Global Alzheimer's Platform (GAP), and BrainStorm host Meryl Comer d...
Ep 98: The Future of Alzheimer's Trials: Bringing Cutting-Edge Research to Every Community - John Dwyer, CEO of The Global Alzheimer's Platform
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. Dwy...
Ep 97: The Right to Choose - Diane Rehm on Autonomy, Aging, and End-of-Life Dignity
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 th...
Ep 96: The Menopause-Alzheimer's Connection: Why Timing Matters for Women's Brain Health with Dr. Rachel Buckley (part 2)
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 ...
Ep 95: Women, Menopause, and Alzheimer's Risk: Breakthrough Research on Brain Health with Dr. Rachel Buckley (part 1)
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 si...
Ep 94: The Unexpected Journey - Emma Heming Willis on Caregiving for Bruce Willis
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 fr...
Ep 93: Beyond Treatment - Dr. Rosand's Mission to Prevent Brain Disease Before It Starts
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. D...
Ep 92 - Navigating Alzheimer's Care: When to Seek Help and How to Stay in Control with Dr. Carolyn Clevenger
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...
Ep 91: Managing Agitation in Dementia: Expert Insights on Integrated Care and Caregiver Support with Dr. Carolyn Clevenger (part 1)
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 ...
Ep 90: The Longevity Paradox: Health Span vs. Life Span with Paul Irving
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 ab...
Ep 89: The Invisible Workforce with Paul Irving: Why Caregiving is a Personal and an Economic Crisis
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 mi...
Ep 88: Breaking the Silence: Jay Reinstein’s Mission to End Alzheimer's Stigma
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-...