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also experience untold stress and anxiety. From 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, the Biggs Institute invites
Dr. Seshadri has worked as a dementia researcher for more than the public to attend a free informational event in the Carlos Alvarez
two decades, and she is a senior investigator in the Framingham Studio Theater of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. I will
Heart Study. This New England-based study has enrolled three gen- moderate a panel discussion on “Protecting your brain from
erations of people since 1948. Investigators are learning valuable Alzheimer’s disease: role of sleep, diet and exercise.” Dr. Seshadri
insights by analyzing the health outcomes of these participants, in- and other experts, including UT Health San Antonio’s Alan Peter-
cluding associations between heart health and dementia. son, Ph.D., who studies combat-related post-traumatic stress, will
In December 2017, we recruited Dr. Seshadri to UT Health San discuss some observed associations between aspects of daily living
Antonio to serve as the founding director of the Biggs Institute. and long-term brain health. I encourage the public to save the date
It was quite a coup for our community. National Institutes of and attend this interesting presentation. Book your spot at:
Health funding is very difficult to obtain in this era, and high-qual- https://biggsinstitute.org/events/south-texas-alzheimers-confer-
ity researchers typically have one or two NIH grants. Dr. Seshadri, ence-community-event/.
a demonstrated leader The same week,
in the field of demen- Dr. Seshadri will
tia, is an investigator welcome leaders
on no less than eight from the National
NIH grants. We could Institutes of Health,
not have chosen a bet- the Alzheimer’s As-
ter leader to champion sociation and other
this cause in our city top academic med-
and region. ical centers for the
The Biggs Institute, inaugural “South
backed by $50 million Texas Conference
raised from the San on Transformational
Antonio community, Care, Research and
will tackle the Therapeutics in
Alzheimer’s challenge Alzheimer’s Dis-
from all sides — by ease.” Health care
caring for caregivers, by providers are en-
providing novel thera- couraged to reserve
pies in clinical trials, by Monday and Tues-
understanding risk factors in Hispanics, and by identifying molecular day, Feb. 25 and 26, and plan to attend this major symposium in our
signatures of the disease and new pathways to prevent and treat it. city. To register, visit: https://biggsinstitute.org/events/south-texas-
This is an all-out commitment to quelling the rising tsunami. We do alzheimers-conference/.
it for patients and families, in memory of a great friend to the San Partnering with the community, the Biggs Institute will respond
Antonio community, Glenn Biggs. to the Alzheimer’s tsunami by understanding the biology of this
Known for his dedication and service to the community, Mr. complex disease, which will lead us to ways of preventing it and
Biggs was a prominent figure whose leadership influenced eco- delivering personalized treatment. Our children and grandchil-
nomic development across San Antonio. When he was diagnosed dren will be the beneficiaries. In this way, we will honor the name
with Alzheimer’s disease, he and his family struggled to find com- of Glenn Biggs, his family, and all who have died of dementia
prehensive care. This search led him to approach UT Health San and other brain diseases.
Antonio and community leaders to address the need for a compre-
hensive center dedicated to understanding Alzheimer’s disease. His Dr. William L. Henrich is President and Professor of Medicine at UT
vision of a center to transform care and advance discovery is now Health San Antonio.
alive in the Biggs Institute at UT Health San Antonio.

visit us at www.bcms.org 27