About 200 people attended the Solomon Carter Fuller Brain Health Brunch on March 16, 2019, at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. The annual daylong event aims to build awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in the African American community. Several studies have shown Alzheimer’s disease hits African Americans at a higher rate than other ethnic and racial groups, with African Americans experiencing Alzheimer’s disease at up to twice the rate as white Americans.
The educational event is named after Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, the first African American psychiatrist and a pioneer in Alzheimer’s disease research. Dr. Fuller worked closely with Dr. Alois Alzheimer in Germany in the early 1900s and wrote some of the earliest and most comprehensive scientific papers published in English about dementia.
Carl V. Hill, PhD, MPH, director of the National Institute on Aging’s (NIA) Office of Special Populations, offered the keynote address, “Double Jeopardy: The Curious Case of Health Disparities in the United States.”
In his presentation, Dr. Hill discussed the importance of diverse perspectives and participants in Alzheimer’s disease research. He emphasized that the study of brains, and the life perspectives that affect those brains, must be diverse in order to find treatments and cures that help everyone.
“A lack of diverse participation and perspective … reduces our chances to understand how this devastating disease develops in all U.S. groups,” Dr. Hill said.
Dr. Hill also emphasized that scientists and researchers need to uphold the declarations of inclusion they promised to support by developing and carrying through with plans for enrolling women and racial and ethnic populations into the studies they lead.
"Given that black Americans ... are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's, can research findings that omit this group ever truly be complete?" he asked. "How can you race for a cure when the people that are disproportionately affected aren't in the studies?"
The event also featured a health fair, caregiver strategies panel, and healthy cooking demonstration. The “Amazing Grace” Chorus made a special appearance at the event. The musical group is comprised of singers with dementia and their caregivers, and is a program of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and its Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute regional office in Milwaukee.
The event was provided by the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin, with sponsorship by the Wisconsin Geriatric Education Center.
Media coverage from the event
The following is a list of media coverage for the event:
“Brain Health Brunch: A Day to Celebrate Memory in the African American Community” aired on Hank AM 1550 & 97.7 FM on February 23, 2019.
“Dr. Carl Hill’s Keynote Address on Health Disparities Research Will Highlight Solomon Carter Fuller Brain Health Brunch” was published on Madison365 on February 25, 2019.
“Editorial: Research for Alzheimer’s Disease” aired on WISC-TV on February 28, 2019.
“2019 Solomon Carter Fuller Day: Inclusive Research” was published in the March 11, 2019, edition of Capital City Hues.
“Solomon Carter Fuller Brain Health Brunch Will Raise Awareness About Alzheimer’s Disease” was published on Madison365 on March 14, 2019.
“Community brunch highlights impact of Alzheimer’s disease” aired on WKOW Channel 27 News on March 16, 2019.
“Group raises awareness of Alzheimer’s disease” aired on WMTV Channel 15 on March 16, 2019.
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