Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in the world, but strategies that slow or prevent its clinical progression have largely remained elusive until recently. However, the relatively modest slowing of clinical disease progression during the symptomatic phase of the disease suggests that strategies to diagnose and treat AD before the presentation of clinical symptoms will be essential to prevent the number of people with AD worldwide from reaching approximately 150 million by 2050. 

This presentation will review recent results that enable the pathological staging of AD with neuroimaging and fluid-based biomarkers that precede the symptomatic phase of the disease. Dr. Self will also discuss lessons learned from randomized controlled trials that provide a strong rationale to test experimental therapeutics and lifestyle interventions in the preclinical stage of AD in both primary and secondary prevention trials. This presentation will also discuss the evidence for potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia and how strategies to decrease these risk factors can be integrated with diagnostic and therapeutic interventions to prevent AD and maximize benefits for patients.

Dr. Wade Self is an Instructor in the Department of Neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He has spent the past decade working with research teams in academic and industrial settings to translate the understanding of the basic neurobiology of disease into disease-modifying treatment strategies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and AD. Dr. Self’s current work aims to understand mechanisms outside the central nervous system that modify neuroimmune interactions in models of AD-associated pathologies to discover new therapeutic targets and test innovative approaches for AD treatment and prevention.

Outside the laboratory, Dr. Self is passionate about working collaboratively within the AD scientific community to help build trust between researchers and members of the local communities that support their science. At the University of Chicago, Dr. Self helped organize community-based efforts to make Hyde Park a dementia-friendly neighborhood in collaboration with the Dementia Friendly America initiative. He has also served on the executive boards for the Nutrition, Metabolism and Dementia and Immunity and Neurodegeneration professional interest areas within the Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment. Dr. Self is committed to the idea of living in a world without neurodegenerative diseases.

This webinar will be captioned in real time. Individuals needing reasonable accommodations should email [email protected]. Requests should be made at least 5 business days before the event.

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