Click on the images below to display a photo slideshow of this year's Thank You Breakfast.

The 6th Annual Penn Memory Center Thank You Breakfast drew a packed crowd to the Inn at Penn’s Woodlands Ballroom on October 20, 2012. The theme of the annual invitation-only breakfast is to thank research participants for their contribution to Penn’s Alzheimer’s disease research. 

Over 200 research participants along with their family members and guests gathered to enjoy eggs, bacon, fruit and pastries before attending presentations on the latest updates in Alzheimer’s disease and the results of Alzheimer’s disease research done at the Penn Memory Center.

Doctors John Trojanowski, Steven E. Arnold, David Wolk, Jason Karlawish, and Penn Memory Center Associate Director for Clinical and Research Operations Felicia Greenfield each presented the latest results from their research studies as well as updates on Penn Memory Center programs and upcoming research opportunities. The presentations concluded with an open question and answer session. Guests’ questions ranged from how biomarker results are used in clinical practice to the current and future state of Alzheimer’s disease research.

Guests’ evaluations were overwhelmingly positive. Comments from the evaluations included:

“I find this program great. It gives me some hope, and learning about the disease is very informative. Thank you for all you do.”

“This is a much appreciated event in recognition of the efforts of those of us who want to help.”

“Your research is wonderful and your sharing it like this is unbelievably generous and much appreciated.”

To learn more about research opportunities at the Penn Memory Center, visit our research page.

This fall the Alzheimer's Association will be hosting several "Walk to End Alzheimer's" events in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. The walks will take place on:
 

• October 6 at Kutztown University in Kutztown, PA
• October 7 at Kennedy Plaza on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ
• October 13 at Grove Park in Rehoboth Beach, DE
• October 20 at the Deleware Riverfront in Wilmington, DE
• November 17 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA

For more information, call the Deleware Valley Alzheimer's Chapter at 1-800-272-3900 or register online at alz.org/desjsepa.

Matt Kaeberlein, PhD, has been selected to give the 2012 annual Vincent J. Cristofalo lecture, which celebrates the spirit and research of Dr. Cristofalo. Dr. Kaeberlein Dr. Kaeberlein is an Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is a biologist, bigerontologist, and researcher of evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of aging, and he has authored more than 90 publications on the basic biology of aging. The lecture will take place on October 18, 2012 from 3:30-5:30pm in the BRB 2/3 Auditorium, 421 Curie Blvd. at the University of Pennsylvania. A reception will follow the lecture. If you would like to attend, RSVP via email to
aging@mail.med.upenn.edu or via phone at (215) 898-3163.

Just in case you need another reason to cut back on junk food, it now turns out that Alzheimer’s could well be a form of diet-induced diabetes. That’s the bad news. The good news is that laying off soda, doughnuts, processed meats and fries could allow you to keep your mind intact until your body fails you.

We used to think there were two types of diabetes: the type you’re born with (Type 1) and the type you “get.” That’s called Type 2, and was called “adult onset” until it started ravaging kids. Type 2 is brought about by a combination of factors, including overeating, American-style.

The idea that Alzheimer’s might be Type 3 diabetes has been around since 2005, but the connection between poor diet and Alzheimer’s is becoming more convincing, as summarized in a cover story in New Scientist entitled “Food for Thought: What You Eat May Be Killing Your Brain.” (The graphic — a chocolate brain with a huge piece missing — is creepy. But for the record: chocolate is not the enemy.)

The studies are increasingly persuasive, and unsurprising when you understand the role of insulin in the body.

Read the full New York Times article here