06/01/2026
π + Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month π§
One year ago, I was deeply honored to receive the Citizen Scientist Catalyst Award at the annual Vanderbilt Center for Cognitive Medicine Brain Health Symposium.
This award, created by the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation (GAP), recognizes clinical research participants who help advance scientific discovery and encourage others to participate in research that may improve lives for future generations.
While receiving the award was incredibly meaningful, the real reason I participated in the study goes much deeper.
As many of you know, my mother lived with Alzheimer's Disease for nearly 10 years. Watching someone you love slowly disappear is heartbreaking, and that experience forever changed me.
It also inspired me.
In 2024, I volunteered for the CHAMP (Cognitive Health After Menopause) study at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. My hope was simple: to help researchers better understand how changes in women's brains after menopause may influence cognitive function and Alzheimer's risk later in life.
In this photo, the brilliant Dr. Alex Conley is fitting me with an EEG cap before conducting a brain activity assessment as part of the study. π§
Throughout June, I'll be sharing simple strategies, movement practices, and brain-health tips that can help support cognitive vitality as we age. While we can't control everything, there is far more we can do to support our brains than many people realize. π.
My mother's Alzheimer's journey taught me what can happen when brain health is lost. My work today is dedicated to helping people preserve it for as long as possible.
Throughout June, I'll be sharing simple strategies, movement practices, and brain-health tips that can help support cognitive vitality as we age.While we can't control everything, there is far more we can do to support our brains than many people realize. π
Here's to protecting our minds, supporting one another, and creating a brighter future for generations to come. π§ β¨