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The Latest Updates in Alzheimer's Disease Research 

The Alzheimer's Association Michigan Chapter offers research events that provide up-to-date information on what is currently known about Alzheimer's disease and other dementia and offer insight into where future research may be headed nationally and in Michigan. Researchers hail from Wayne State University in Detroit, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan State University in East Lansing, the surrounding Lansing area and Grand Rapids, and other esteemed institutions through the state. Current dates are listed below. More are being added, so be sure to check back for a research event near you!

Thursday, April 4 | 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Weber's | Ann Arbor
Featuring Dr. Hank Paulson
RSVP: Sue Prynn | 734.548.9085 | E-mail

Wednesday, April 10 | 7:30-9:30 a.m.
University Club of Michigan State University | Lansing
Featuring Dr. Bruno Giordani
RSVP: Quinn Mahoney | 517.376.4275 | qtmahoney@alz.org

Tuesday, April 23 | 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park | Grand Rapids
Featuring Dr. David Morgan
RSVP: Erin Muehlenkamp | 616.301.3230 | E-mail

Wednesday, May 1 | 4:30-6 p.m. 
Catalyst Center at Southwest Michigan First | Kalamazoo
Featuring Dr. Florence Johnson
RSVP: Phil Earnshaw | 269.290.6270 | E-mail

Wednesday, May 15 | 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Grand Traverse Resort | Acme
Featuring Dr. Scott Counts
RSVP: Kristen Erby Weber | 231.714.6736 | E-mail

Thursday, May 16 | 10-11:15 a.m.
Alpena Senior Center | Alpena
Featuring Dr. Scott Counts
RSVP: Kristen Erby Weber | 231.714.6726 | E-mail

Featured researchers:
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Dr. Scott Counts grew up in Virginia and South Carolina and received his undergraduate degree from Davidson College, concentrating in History and English. After working for several years as a chemist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, he went on to earn his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Emory University in 2000, studying under Dr. Allan I. Levey in the Department of Neurology to understand the metabolic regulation of presenilin-1, a key protein involved in familial forms of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). That same year, he joined Dr. Elliott J. Mufson’s lab at Rush University Medical Center as an Instructor of Neurological Sciences, studying cholinergic mechanisms of AD and its prodromal stage, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), as part of Rush’s NIA-funded Training Program in Age-related Neurodegenerative Disorders. Dr. Counts was appointed to an Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences at Rush in 2003 based on his expertise in using functional genomic technologies to compare and contrast postmortem brain samples from people who died within the clinical spectrum of no cognitive impairment (NCI) to MCI to AD. In 2013, Dr. Counts was recruited to Michigan State University as an Associate Professor of Translational Neuroscience (primary) and Family Medicine (secondary) at the Grand Rapids campus.

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Dr. Henry Paulson is the Lucile Groff Professor of Neurology for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Paulson joined the University of Michigan faculty in 2007, and currently serves as director of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center and co-director of the Michigan Neuroscience Institute.
Dr. Paulson received his medical degree and doctorate in Cell Biology from Yale University in 1990. He then completed a neurology residency and neurogenetics/movement disorders fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1997, he joined the Neurology faculty at the University of Iowa, where he remained until he moved to Michigan in 2007.
Dr. Paulson's research and clinical interests concern the causes and treatment of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, with an emphasis on repeat expansion diseases, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Dr. David Morgan is a professor in the David-Morgan.jpg Department of Translational Neuroscience. He received his training at Northwestern University. His doctoral research at Northwestern University was with Aryeh Routtenberg where they investigated the neurochemistry of memory, resulting in a publication of part of his dissertation in Science. Dr. Morgan has over 200 peer-reviewed publications and his H factor is 57. He has participated in 20 NIH funded research grants totaling over 80 grant-years of research support as Principal investigator or Co-Investigator over the last 25 years. His research program has received $16 million in support from multiple agencies. In addition to his research activities, Morgan has consulted with major pharmaceutical companies and small biotechnology companies regarding the development of therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease. He has also advised capital investment organizations regarding the most promising therapeutic approaches to curing Alzheimer’s disease. Morgan served for 6 years on the Program Committee for the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, the last 3 years as Chairperson.

Dr. Florence Johnson, PhD, RN, MSN, MHA,Dr-Johnson-(1).jpg CDP is a highly experienced nursing professional who holds many degrees, certificates and licenses. She has worked as an instructor at the collegiate level, as a director of quality and as a consultant. Her work
in research and leadership has received
many honors and awards. She is currently a research fellow in the University of Michigan School of Nursing Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences. Her research focuses on the mental health of Black family caregivers of people living with dementia. She is working to inform and help people by normalizing the terminology of caregiving and getting the proper help when it is needed and available. 

Dr. Bruno Giordani serves as the Chief ofPsych_Giordani_Bruno.jpg Psychology, and is a tenured professor in the departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Psychology as well as the School of Nursing at the University of Michigan. Dr. Giordani is the Associate Director of our Center. Associated with the Center for more than 25 years, Dr. Giordani has a longstanding history of connecting with the community to promote a better understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. He has served on the Executive Board of the Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter since 2007 and has been both its Board Chair and National Representative, as well as a member of the national Association’s Assembly Steering Committee. His research initiatives focus on a cross-cultural perspective on the early assessment of cognitive and behavioral changes associated with medical illness and the interaction of cognition and mobility across the life-span. Dr. Giordani completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Virginia and received his postdoctoral training in Clinical and Research Neuropsychology at the University of Michigan.