November is Alzheimer’s awareness month, a reminder that AD is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and remains one of the most difficult and expensive diseases as the population grows older.
Meanwhile, improving cancer survival has led to a larger group of survivors dealing with cognitive problems, nerve pain and other side effects that overlap with pathways seen in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Jim Ray, Ph.D., executive director of the Belfer Neurodegeneration Consortium and co-director of the Cancer Neuroscience Program at UT MD Anderson, sits at the crossroads of drug discovery, research science and the developing field of cancer neuroscience. He can discuss the following:
- Recent progress in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s research
- The ways these conditions connect with cancer-related pathways
- Insights into brain and nervous system health
- Practical steps people can take to help protect their brain
- What UT MD Anderson is doing to support patients with brain and nervous system concerns
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