As more people gain access to Alzheimer’s diagnoses and more people want to learn about Alzheimer’s risk and prevention, ATRI is looking for creative ways to engage with the broader public. In this episode, Dr. Mindy Aisen and Belinda J. Gonzalez join the podcast to discuss one of those initiatives — the ATRI Participant Support Center. Belinda and Dr. Mindy explain how this new call center team is making it easier for both participants and the general public to get their questions answered, and they share some examples of how these conversations are impacting ATRI’s approach to research and patient communication.

Episode Recap:

• In this episode, we’re talking with Dr. Mindy Aisen and Belinda J. Gonzalez (0:41)
• What is the Participant Support Center, and why did you decide to create it? (2:09)
• What kinds of questions are you answering most often at the call center? (7:42)
• What makes a good support person for the call center? (13:59)
• How have your past experiences prepared you for this role? (17:36)
• What do you wish potential participants knew about the research process? (26:23)
• What are your hopes for the future of ATRI and Alzheimer’s research? (31:46)

Learn more about ATRI

As ATRI’s Director of Neuropsychology, Dr. Cecily Jenkins is making important progress toward earlier identification and intervention for Alzheimer’s Disease. In this episode, Dr. Jenkins joins the podcast to explain what neuropsychology is and why it’s such an essential part of ATRI’s work. She also shares an inside look at the work her team is doing to standardize clinical trials across many locations and researchers, and she discusses some important innovations and discoveries that have shifted our approach to Alzheimer's research over the past few decades.

Episode Recap:

• In this episode, we’re talking with Dr. Cecily Jenkins, director of neuropsychology at ATRI (0:41)
• What is neuropsychology, and how did you get interested in it? (2:23)
• How has the field of neuropsychology evolved in recent years? (6:26)
• What do you wish people knew about the research process? (10:54)
• What changes are you and your team making to the research process? (12:42)
• Why is biomarker evidence the most important development of the last 10 years? (19:10)
• What are you most proud of from your time at ATRI? (22:02)
• What is your hope for the future of Alzheimer’s research? (24:44)
• Why is data standardization so important, and what are you doing to support it? (27:56)
• How can people get involved? (33:15)

Learn more about ATRI

Learn about the APT Webstudy

Sarah Walter, MSc knows that participant feedback is vital for effective Alzheimer’s research. As program administrator for the ACTC and ATRI, Sarah has done important work to foster collaboration both within the community and with external partners. In this episode, Sarah joins the podcast to explain why it’s so important to involve participants in the research process. She also discusses some key shifts that can help make Alzheimer’s trials more accessible to diverse populations, and she shares a few success stories of implementing participant feedback.

Episode Recap:

• In this episode, we’re talking with Sarah Walter, program administrator for ACTC and ATRI. (0:41)
• Can you tell us about your role at ATRI and explain how you got here? (2:40)
• How did you start the process of getting more people involved in your research? (7:24)
• What has changed since you started involving research participants? (12:27)
• How can we make research more accessible, and why is that so important? (18:06)
• What are you working toward next? (22:55)
• What key shifts have helped make research more approachable for participants? (24:19)
• How can people get involved and share their feedback? (28:27)

Learn more about ATRI