The Aging Brain: Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease

Event Description:

Neurodegenerative disease affects about 50 million Americans each year. One of the largest risk factors for many of these disorders is age. As we get older, changes occur throughout all parts of our body, including our brains. In this presentation, we will cover two important neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Dr. Parato will review the changes that occur in the brain in AD, touch upon some hot topics in the field, and present a brief review of her own research on the cytoskeleton in AD. Dr. Eckard will outline how toxins in our environment can contribute to PD. Understanding these diseases will not only help develop treatment and prevention strategies, but also deepen our awareness of how these diseases affect our loved ones and community members.