Loving Dementia Care Conference 2022: Heartbeat of Dementia & Hopeful Advances in Research

“Heartbeat of Dementia Care” by Serggio Lanata, MD, MS
Objectives
• Identify at least three basic brain structures and functions
• Describe at least three ways the brain changes with aging
• Define the term “dementia” and describe at least three signs and
symptoms associated with common causes of dementia
• Provide an overview of the diagnostic process for a person with cognitive concerns

“Hopeful Advances in Research” by Lawren Vandevrede, MD, PhD
Objectives
• Discuss clinical trial evidence behind FDA approval of aducanumab
• Identify at least two safety concerns associated with aducanumab and two
considerations for appropriate clinical use post-approval

Dr. Serggio Lanata is a neurologist who cares for patients with cognitive impairment. His research
focuses on improving treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in underserved and underrepresented
communities. He studies how social determinants of health — factors such as income level and
traumatic life experiences — affect brain health and cognition. The goal is to identify risk factors
that lead to cognitive decline. After completing a biological sciences program at the Universidad
Ricardo Palma in Lima, Peru, Lanata earned his bachelor’s degree in food science and human
nutrition at the University of Florida. He then earned a master’s degree in physiology, complementary
and alternative medicine at Georgetown University before earning his medical degree from the
University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He completed a residency in neurology
at Brown University and a fellowship in behavioral neurology at UCSF.

As an Assistant Professor and cognitive neurologist at UCSF, Dr. Lawren VandeVrede’s primary
goal is to provide outstanding clinical care to patients with dementia and their caregivers. He
completed his medical training in Chicago, where he also obtained a PhD degree in neuroscience
in preclinical drug development for Alzheimer’s disease. He completed his residency in the Harvard
Neurology Residency program, and he received fellowship training at the UCSF Memory and Aging
Center. His research interests are in advancing novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools from the
research world into the clinic, especially new blood tests for neurodegenerative disease.