Dementia, Parkinson's & Stroke: Breaking Down Brain Disease Through Myths vs. Facts

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Join us for Dementia, Parkinson’s & Stroke: Breaking Down Brain Disease Through Myths vs. Facts, a virtual, panel discussion with brain disease experts from Johns Hopkins, Georgetown University, INOVA and Reston Hospital Center.

At The Kensington Reston, our mission to improve and preserve the quality of life for every resident is a collaborative effort. To that end, we have built strong relationships with expert medical professionals who keep us current with the latest advances in care, management and treatment of conditions that affect seniors and their families. Please join us for a panel discussion with top physicians who are leading initiatives to prevent and cure life-altering brain diseases.

Learn what today’s research tells us about the status of brain disease prevention and cure, and what lifestyle habits can reduce risk factors, such as heredity. Get an update on the controversy over the FDA approval of Biogen to treat Alzheimer’s. And gain insight to the impact of brain disease on families as they figure out what to do after diagnosis and how to manage challenges that commonly result from changing family dynamics. 

The Moderator:

Ana Nelson is the Vice President of Programs & Services at the Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area Chapter.  She provides visionary leadership and direction for program development, implementation, and evaluation. Ana is one of the associations National Research Champions, and served on the Dept. of Defense Brain Injury Research Grant Review Committee.  She currently serves on the Virginia Jones Advisory Committee for the MD Alzheimer’s State Plan. Ana has 25 years of executive leadership experience in program development, dementia specialization, marketing, team development, and organization management. Her “hands on” experience in diverse environments include developing community agency partnerships, education and outreach services, leading family support groups, recruiting, training and mentoring volunteers and staff, expanding marketing and development opportunities for organizations. She is a subject matter expert on policy planning and implementation procedures for consistently delivering quality service. Previously, Ana was President & Executive Director of the Stamford Senior Center in CT, and CT Regional Director for the Alzheimer’s Association. She is a former President of the WIC Directors Association for Maine, Certified Law Enforcement Instructor by Police Officers Standards and Training Council, and Health District Board member.

The Panelists:

Dr. Mohess is the Medical Director and Section Chief of Geriatrics at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. She joined Inova 6 years aga as a physician and Associate Medical Director of Palliative Medicine before transitioning to her current role. Her training included Internal Medicine at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship at  University of Pennsylvania and then Palliative Medicine fellowship at Mt Sinai in New York. She also attained certification in Bioethics and Medical Humanities with the Montefiore Einstein Center for Bioethics. Her career has been dedicated to caring for vulnerable, older adults.

Dr. Matt Edwardson, MD is a vascular neurologist and a member of the stroke team at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. He is also an assistant professor in the Georgetown University Medical Center Department of Neurology and part of the Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery where his research focuses on neuroimaging and blood biomarkers of stroke recovery.

Dr. Stephen Grill, is an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University and Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area. He received a PhD in Neuroscience, M.D. from Northwestern University, neurology residency at Washington University and a fellowship in movement disorders at the NIH.

Dr. Etesam with Reston Hospital Center, grew up locally in Springfield, VA.  He studied Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University and attended medical school at American University of the Caribbean.  He has a wide exposure to medicine participating in clinical rotations throughout the US and internationally in the UK.  He completed his Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and is the current Medical Director of Reston Hospital’s rehabilitation unit. Dr. Etesam is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the Association of Academic Physiatrists. His interests are in neurological rehabilitation including brain injury, spinal cord injury and stroke.