Incorporating Cultural Knowledge: Improving Alzheimer’s Disease Research for Veterans and Native Americans

Dr. Cynthia Carlsson and Daniel A. King join the podcast to discuss some of the unique ways that Alzheimer’s disease affects Veterans and Native Americans. Their work at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center allows them to connect with people who are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and help educate them on how to maintain brain health, both through Dr. Carlsson’s research and clinical practice and Mr. King’s outreach to Veterans and Native Americans. Discussing the importance of current outreach and educational efforts as well as what they’ve learned from engaging with Veterans and Native Americans, Dr. Carlsson and Mr. King describes how understanding different cultures and community experiences can help Alzheimer’s disease research better support underserved populations.

Guests: Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, professor of medicine and Alzheimer’s disease researcher, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, geriatrician, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, and Daniel A. King, member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Veteran recruitment coordinator, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

Episode Topics

1:47 Why do Veterans have a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease?

2:52 What does this new program at the ADRC, focused on Veterans, look like, and why have it here?

5:19 How do your caregiving experiences influence the conversations you have educating others about Alzheimer’s disease?

20:25 What needs to change within research to do a better job serving veterans, Native Americans, and other underserved populations?

Show Notes

Read more about Dr. Cynthia Carlsson in her bio. 

Read about Veterans and Alzheimer’s disease on our website.

Read about Native Americans and Alzheimer’s disease on the Alzheimer’s Association website or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control website.