The changing role of race in dementia research

ONLINE — In honor of Black History Month, the Alzheimer’s Association will offer a free live webinar, “Alzheimer’s & Dementia Conversations: Changing the Face of Research.” It will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1. 

The one-hour webinar will feature a discussion on the historical inequities in clinical trials and their lasting impact on Black Americans and other underrepresented populations. 

Currently, there are more than six million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. Among Black Americans aged 70 or older, more than one in five (21 percent) are living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Panelists will include Dr. Reuben Warren, director of the Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics in Research and Healthcare; Rev. Dr. Ann Marie Bentsi-Addison Posey, senior director of faith-based initiatives, New York City Health and Hospital Corporation; and Rev. Dr. Miriam J. Burnett, medical director, International Health Commission, African Methodist Episcopal Church Church.

According to the 2021 Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report, nearly two-thirds of Black Americans (62 percent) believe that medical research is biased against people of color. A history of exclusion from clinical trials and a lasting history of discrimination from the medical establishment contributes to high levels of mistrust of clinical trials among Black Americans.

“We know that Alzheimer’s disease disproportionately affects Black older Americans,” said Dr. Carl V. Hill, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at the Alzheimer’s Association. “We are committed to continue engaging underrepresented communities.”

To register, visit “Alzheimer’s & Dementia Conversations: Changing the Face of Research”.