Fall 2026
Recap of the 2026 Alzheimer's Association International Conference
The 2026 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), held in London and online, brought
together more than 11,000 researchers, clinicians, and other participants from around the world to share the latest advances in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research. The conference included more than 7,800 scientific submissions. AAIC also offered a free one-day program that gave people living with dementia, families, caregivers, and the general public an opportunity to hear about new discoveries directly from experts. Mayo Clinic investigators were again well represented at the conference, with research spanning brain imaging, biomarkers, laboratory medicine, aging, and clinical outcomes. If you are or were a participant in a Mayo Clinic ADRC research study, your contribution was likely reflected in these advancements.
Blood Based Biomarkers
The conference highlighted the role blood biomarkers play in Alzheimer’s disease detection and risk assessment. One major study presented at AAIC found that levels of the blood biomarker p-tau217 could help estimate the likelihood that cognitively healthy older adults would develop cognitive impairment years later. The test does not predict with certainty who will develop dementia, but it may eventually help identify people who warrant closer monitoring or who may be appropriate for prevention trials.
Other AAIC research showed that Alzheimer's blood tests may also make accurate diagnosis more accessible. In a large real-world study, providing blood-test results substantially improved diagnostic accuracy among both primary-care physicians and dementia specialists.
Clinical trials are also beginning to test Alzheimer’s treatments in people who already have evidence of Alzheimer’s-related changes in the brain but have not yet developed noticeable memory or thinking problems. If future studies show that treatment at this stage can delay the onset of symptoms, detecting Alzheimer’s disease earlier could become increasingly important.
New Directions in Treatment
The currently approved disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease target amyloid, one of the abnormal proteins that accumulates in the brain. But Alzheimer’s is a complex disease, and researchers are increasingly exploring therapies that target other parts of the disease process.
One promising approach involves tau, the protein that forms abnormal tangles inside brain cells. At AAIC, researchers presented results from a Phase 2 trial of an experimental drug called diranersen. The treatment reduced total tau in spinal fluid by approximately 50–65% and reduced tau pathology measured with brain imaging. Researchers also observed encouraging signals on measures of cognitive decline, but larger studies will be needed to determine whether the treatment meaningfully slows Alzheimer’s progression.
Taken together, the findings from AAIC 2026 show how quickly Alzheimer’s research is changing. Scientists are getting better at detecting the disease earlier, estimating who may be at greatest risk, and developing treatments that target more than one part of the disease process. Many of these approaches are still experimental, and important questions remain, but the direction is encouraging: the future of Alzheimer’s care may involve earlier detection, more personalized treatment, and multiple therapies working together to protect brain health.
New Mayo Clinic Brain Bank Program Hopes to Speed the Search for Treatments
Developing new treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders depends on understanding what happens in the brain itself. Examining the brains of people who have passed away allows scientists to study disease-related changes that cannot be detected through brain scans or other tests alone.
Every brain donated for Alzheimer's research is a
priceless gift. A new program at Mayo Clinic will help ensure those generous donations have an even greater impact.
The Department of Neuroscience has launched a centralized program that will make donated brain tissue more widely available to qualified researchers at Mayo Clinic and collaborating institutions. By streamlining how tissue is processed, tracked and shared, the program will maximize the scientific value of each donation, enabling more researchers to pursue studies that could lead to better treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.
For more than 30 years, the Mayo Clinic Brain Bank has been an essential resource for research on brain diseases.
Today, it includes more than 11,000 donated brains, each linked with detailed clinical information that helps scientists better understand how brain diseases develop and worsen over time.
The new program builds on this legacy by coordinating the specialized work that takes place after a donation has been evaluated. This includes preparing tissue for research studies, providing expert consultation, performing specialized laboratory analyses, and distributing tissue to investigators across a broad range of research projects.
According to Dr. Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner, chair of Mayo Clinic's Department of Neuroscience, "By expanding access to this unique resource, we can accelerate discoveries that ultimately improve the lives of patients living with complex neurological diseases".
Most importantly, the new program honors the generosity of brain donors and their families by ensuring every donation can support the widest possible range of research. By making precious samples more accessible to scientists, Mayo Clinic is helping speed the search for better treatments and potential cures for Alzheimer's disease and many other brain disorders.
Health tips: The movement hiding in plain sight
Modern life has made everyday tasks easier than ever. We can answer the phone without getting up, order dinner with a few taps and take an elevator instead of the stairs. While convenience saves time, it has also quietly removed many of the small movements our bodies were designed to do throughout the day.
Those missed opportunities add up, not only for our physical health but for our brains as well. Regular movement supports healthy blood flow to the brain, helps reduce vascular risk factors for brain disease and can benefit mood, sleep, attention, and memory.
The good news is that you don't have to spend hours in the gym to benefit from moving more. Some of the healthiest movements happen during everyday life.
- Everyday movement is easy to overlook: Walking to lunch, taking the stairs, carrying groceries or parking a little farther away may not feel like exercise, but these everyday activities contribute to your overall health and energy.
- Modern life encourages us to sit more: Whether you're working, driving or relaxing at home, long periods of sitting have become the norm. Standing up, stretching or taking short walks throughout the day helps put more natural movement back into your routine.
- Convenience isn't always your friend: Drive-thrus, elevators, remote controls and online shopping all save time — but they also replace many of the small movements that once happened naturally throughout the day.
- Exercise and activity both matter: Everyday movement is valuable, but purposeful exercise provides additional benefits for your heart, muscles, bones and overall fitness. Together, they create a stronger foundation for long-term health.
- Small choices add up over time: Healthy habits aren't built by one workout or one perfect day. They're built through small decisions repeated consistently, whether that's taking the stairs or going for a walk after dinner.
- Start where you are: You don't need to train for a marathon to benefit from moving more. Begin with changes that fit your lifestyle, then build from there as movement becomes part of your daily routine.
Brentwood CARES: Working Together to Support Brain Health
What began as a conversation about brain health in the Brentwood community of Jacksonville has grown into a community effort shaped by the people who live, work, worship, and care for loved ones in the neighborhood.
Residents of Brentwood and surrounding areas have a new resource focused on brain health, memory support, caregiving, and connection. Brentwood CARES (Community Aging Resources, Education & Support) is a neighborhood-based hub designed to make trustworthy information, practical resources, and supportive programs easier to access close to home.
Brentwood CARES was created through a partnership involving Brentwood Neighbors, 2nd Mile Ministries, the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and other community partners. Its programs have been shaped by input from residents, caregivers, volunteers, faith communities, and local organizations.
The hub is for anyone who wants to learn more about keeping the brain healthy, better understand changes in memory and thinking, support a family member or friend, connect with others, or find local services and resources. Programs will address nutrition, physical activity, stress management, memory changes, dementia education, caregiving, and memory screening.
Social connection is also an important part of Brentwood CARES. Activities will offer people living with memory loss and their family care partners opportunities to enjoy music, games, conversation, creative activities, and time with others in a safe, respectful, and welcoming setting.
Brentwood CARES programs are offered at Sulzbacher Village, a busy community campus on 44th & Pearl Street offering health care, early learning, family services, employment support, and other programs for residents and the surrounding community. Whether you are interested in protecting your brain health, have questions about memory concerns, are caring for a loved one with dementia, or simply want to connect with others, Brentwood CARES welcomes you.
Check the calendar pages in this newsletter for upcoming programs, dates, and activities.
Meet a Community Champion
Verona Mitchell
As a founding member of the Mayo Clinic ADRC Ambassador cadre and the New Town Dementia Friendly Community Sustainability Committee, Ms. Verona Mitchell has been actively spreading the word about brain health and the importance of dementia research for nearly a decade. We caught up with her to hear a little about her story.
Good Morning Ms. Mitchell, please tell us a little bit about yourself
I am a retired State of Florida Social Worker retired since 2004. Having graduated from Florida A & M University, I knew that my career would involve working with children and families. Oddly enough, my profession was intuitively determined by my mother, when she told me in junior high school that I would most likely become a social worker. I worked in this career for 32.5 years. Two years after my retirement I worked for the Duval County School Board, as a Family Literacy Program Coordinator. Where I assisted dropout students secure a high school equivalency certificate, in place of their high school diploma.
What inspired you to become involved in
Community Service?
I grew up in Jacksonville, in a proud loving family with 5 siblings; 2 of which are still living. We had 2 wonderful parents that were steeped in their beliefs that their children receive an ongoing education, college degrees, etc. They also believed in community service. Both my parents set examples for our participation in giving back through community service and activism.
Presently, I participate in my church’s food giveaway program, where I bundle food in bags for various families in need of food. I also participate in my community initiative, where my community is continuously informed through various expert speakers, as to the current events in my neighborhood/community. I am also a member of the Better Living Community Association (started by my parents in the 1930’s); where we are
informed and have been empowered through pass bond issues, grants, etc. to make neighborhood improvements through completion of needed projects. I am also a member of the Durkeeville Historical Society, where we collect information on the achievements of local Black people, as well as artifacts, relating to local Black excellence. And lastly, I have held a life membership in the NAACP, since the 1970’s.
My remaining siblings also participate in various organizations that help shape the ongoing future and betterment of the Jacksonville community.
Why did you become an ADRC Ambassador?
I became part of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, as a volunteer ambassador approximately 10 years ago, at the urging of Monica Albertie, who was at the time a part of the ADRC. I’m not sure whether she was aware that my now deceased brother had been diagnosed at Mayo Clinic with dementia. Specifically, “Lewy Body” dementia and was being treated at the Mayo Clinic.
My mother was the first to notice that my brother was showing noticeable signs in his behavior. His thinking was beginning to appear disorganized. He was forgetting how to take the shortest route to the grocery store, when he would take her shopping, etc. She would mention her concerns to the family and she began urging him to get a referral through his primary physician for the Mayo Clinic. He resisted for some time, until he was hospitalized at a local hospital on an unrelated medical matter. Our niece was at the time doing her medical residency at the same hospital. I convinced her to visit his room and advise him to get his (orthopedic) medical needs taken care of at the Mayo. He agreed, and his doctors at Mayo Clinic made an appointment to see one of their dementia specialists, who was able to diagnose his thinking problems as being caused by Lewy Body Dementia. He enrolled in a research study there and left a legacy through his contributions to help advance our understanding of this disease.
Over my many years I have enjoyed being a volunteer with the ADRC (Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center). It has helped me to understand the importance of the Black community to take part in the research. And, with a greater understanding that “one size doesn’t fit all”. That what may work for the majority community, does not always and/or necessarily work for the minority community.
It has helped me to understand the importance of the Black community to take part in the research.
What's Cooking?
From Jen Welper's cookbook, "Cook Smart, Eat Well: Mayo Clinic Recipes and Strategies for Healthy Living."
This holiday season, explore ways to modify favorite family recipes to create healthier options. You don’t have to give up old favorites to eat a more brain healthy diet. Just swap a few ingredients that reduce unhealthy fats, sugars, and processed foods to create meals that are good for both your MIND and SOUL. For example, swap smoked turkey for ham hocks or bacon to keep the smokey flavor without the unhealthy fats. Substitute whole wheat post for regular noodles, or non-fat plain yogurt for sour cream.
Here is a recipe using hearty whole-grain quinoa and a nutrition packed sweet potato to make a delicious side dish that supports brain health.
Quinoa Cakes with Sweet Potatoes
Serves: 6-7 (about 12-14 patties)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Quinoa, cooked
- 2 cups Sweet potato, cooked and mashed
- 2 Eggs
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 6 ounces Gruyere or parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 tsp. Salt
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- 2 T. Parsley, fresh, chopped very fine
- 2 T. Olive oil
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Use a fork to poke holes in the sweet potato skins.
- Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until they are completely soft and cooked through. Allow to cool.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, cook the quinoa according to package directions and allow to cool.
- Mix cooled quinoa, sweet potatoes, eggs, garlic, cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and parsley.
- Scoop ¼ cup of the mixture and form a patty. Place on wax or parchment paper until you make all the patties.
- Add a thin layer of Olive Oil to a sauté pan on medium heat. When hot, add patties to the pan and cook each side until golden brown (about 3-5 min per side). Repeat until all patties are seared. If not serving right away, bake seared patties in a 350-degree oven 5 minutes before serving.
Community Pages
St Paul’s AME Church hosted a health fair on July 18th, and the ADRC Outreach team was on site to provide information and programs centered on Brain Health. Attendees had the opportunity to visit with staff and learn about healthy brain options and understand aspects of memory loss. The health fair included opportunities to donate blood on the Big Red Boss and visit the Alzheimer’s Association’s Brain Bus. Attendees could also have physicals onsite.
Back to School at Potter’s House
Back to School is always a neighborhood event at The Potter's House International Ministries. This year the back-to school event was held on August 8th and welcomed 650 attendees. Those attending received free backpacks, back to school supplies, physicals and haircuts. The ADRC outreach team was there to promote programs
New Town Memory Café
This social and interactive program meets each month. This is a unique socialization program for those with memory loss and their caregivers. See Upcoming Community Events for more information.
Caregiver Corner
As the days grow shorter, the evenings longer, and the weather cooler, family caregivers may find themselves spending more time at home with a loved one who has memory loss. Having a few simple, enjoyable activities on hand can make those quieter hours more meaningful, especially if there are some activities that your loved one can do with minimal assistance.
Activities that draw on familiar routines, long-term memories, and repetition are often easier to enjoy and less frustrating than tasks that require learning something new. When choosing activities, focus on what the person can comfortably do now rather than what they were able to do in the past. The goal is not perfect performance, but enjoyment, engagement, and a sense of success.
The goal is meaningful connection and enjoyment, not perfection or a finished product.
Cognitive & Nostalgic Activities
- Memory boxes: Fill a small box with items from their past profession or hobbies (e.g., fabric swatches for a tailor, safe tools for a mechanic, or old family photos). Go through the box together, ask questions about the items and encourage your loved one to tell stories from their past related to the items.
- Music playlists: Play familiar songs from their youth and adulthood. See if there are songs that evoke happy memories, funny stories, or other positive emotions.
- Simple puzzles: Use puzzles with large, easy-to-handle pieces (12 to 24 pieces) featuring clear, realistic images rather than childish cartoons.
Tactile & Household Activities
- Sorting objects: Give them a basket of safe, mixed items to sort by color, shape, or size, such as large buttons, plastic silverware, playing cards, or socks.
- Folding laundry: Ask for their help folding washcloths, hand towels, or cloth napkins, which provides a familiar, reassuring sense of purpose.
- Baking help: Involve them in safe kitchen tasks like kneading dough, mashing potatoes, or stirring some cake or cookie batter.
Sensory & Relaxation Activities
- Hand massages: Apply a mildly scented lotion (like lavender) and gently massage their hands to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety
- Nature watching: Sit together by a window or on a porch to watch birds at a birdfeeder, listen to wind chimes, or look at garden flowers.
- Scent recognition: Open jars of familiar spices (like cinnamon, vanilla, or coffee beans) to spark conversation and sensory engagement.
Key Tips for Success
- Focus on the process: If they stack the washcloths incorrectly or put a puzzle piece in the wrong spot, do not correct them. The value is in the experience, not the outcome.
- Keep instructions simple: As needed, break down requests into one clear step at a time (e.g., "Please hold this towel," followed by "Can you fold it in half?").
- Watch for fatigue: If they become restless, agitated, or start rubbing their eyes, gently transition away from the activity to a quiet rest period.
Online resources
Contact Us: Alzheimers.gov
https://www.alzheimers.gov/contact-us
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) coordinates and maintains the information on the Alzheimers.gov website.
Alzheimer's Association | Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Help
https://www.alz.org/
The Alzheimer's Association leads the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.
About Alzheimer's | Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia | CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/alzheimers-dementia/about/alzheimers.html
Caregiving | Caregiving | CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/caregiving/index.html
CDC is the nation's leading science-based, data-driven, service organization that protects the public's health.
Dementia Connections - New Town Success Zone Community Impact Days
1401 Grunthal Street
Jacksonville, FL 32209
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
October 26, 2026
November 21, 2026
December 19, 2026
Schell Sweet Community Resource Center Food Distribution
1697 Kings Road, Jacksonville, FL 32209
9:00 AM - Noon or while food lasts
October 10, 2026
November 14, 2026
December 12, 2026
Memory Cafe
Socialization and support for those with memory loss and their caregivers
3rd Saturdays of each month at 11:00am (unless otherwise noted)
Holiday schedule may vary
Wallace Small Community Center
1083 Line Street, Jacksonville, FL 32209
Saturday, October 17 ,2026 - Fall gardening
Saturday, November 21, 2026
December date and time to be determined
Contact: Marcia Ellison (904) 866-3363 or Willetta Richardson (904) 470-8899 or Tina Logan (904) 651-5075
Vision Keepers
4th Thursday of the Month
6:00-8:00PM
Dinner always served
Call (904) 470-8899 for details
Calendar of Events
Welcome to Mayo Clinic Florida Brain Health
Mayo Clinic Florida promotes research and education about healthy brain aging, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and AD-related dementias (ADRD). Together with our community partners, we offer education and support programs for people with memory loss and their loved ones. We also offer opportunities for the community to participate in clinical trials and research discoveries to better understand brain health and develop effective treatments for those with memory disorders.
Spread the Word About Brain Health!
If you or someone you know would like to receive this newsletter, contact us through any of the methods described below to be added to our distribution list. If you have received this newsletter in error, or otherwise do not wish to receive future issues, please let us know. You can also reach out to us if you would like to:
- learn more about obtaining a memory evaluation or diagnosis of dementia
- speak with someone about caregiver resources
- learn more about research opportunities
Simply point your Smartphone camera at the QR code below and touch the link that comes up on your screen. Select your choice of information and delivery options.
Other wats to reach us:
- Email: FLAMayoADRC@mayo.edu
- Phone: 904-953-6523
- Visit our website www.brainhealthflorida.mayo.edu
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