LAS VEGAS, Nevada: The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement (WAM) at Cleveland Clinic and its founder, Maria Shriver, will bring together leading scientists, clinicians, advocates and innovators working on the frontlines of women’s brain health and Alzheimer’s disease to celebrate progress made in women’s brain health research at its inaugural WAM Forum, while honoring the recipients of both the WAM Leadership Awards and 2025 WAM Research Grants.
In conjunction with National Women’s Health Month, the public event will take place at the Keep Memory Alive Event Center on the campus of Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health on Monday, May 19 from 12 – 2 p.m., and raise awareness for two critical women’s health issues: Alzheimer’s disease and family caregiving, both of which disproportionately impact women.
“Women remain at the epicenter of the Alzheimer’s crisis, but their experiences have long been overlooked in research. The WAM Forum represents a culmination of our efforts to transform how we approach women’s brain health,” said Shriver, who also serves as chief visionary and strategic advisor of the Women’s Comprehensive Health and Research Center at Cleveland Clinic. “By gathering the brightest minds in women’s brain health and leading women’s health advocates for a conversation on progress and to announce new research, we’re creating a platform that fosters conversation to help close the historic gap in women’s health research and address one of the most pressing health issues of our time.”
Attendees will get a front row seat to an intimate discussion with Shriver and menopause expert and founder of The Pause Life, Mary Claire Haver, M.D., on the latest science on the connection between menopause and women’s brain health and longevity.
Cleveland Clinic Executive Vice President and Enterprise Chief of Staff, Beri Ridgeway, M.D., will introduce the 2025 WAM Research Award recipients. This year marks the 51st study to be funded by a WAM Research grant, which collectively to date have garnered more than $83 million in additional National Institutes of Health and foundation funding.
Three Cleveland Clinic researchers will receive a total of $625,000 from WAM at Cleveland Clinic, as part of their longstanding annual research awards program, to conduct studies collectively aimed at addressing the complex interplay of sex differences, immune responses, and gut microbiome in the progression and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease:
- Tara Desilva, Ph.D.: Sexual Dimorphism in Microbial Metabolites from Alzheimer’s Disease Brain
- Jielin Xu, Ph.D.: Characterize Microglial Heterogeneities and Treatment Responses Underlying Sex Differences in Alzheimer’s Neuropathology and Brain Resilience
- Antoine Louveau, Ph.D.: Copy of X Chromosome Specific Regulation of the Blood Brain Barrier by Integrins in Alzheimer’s Disease
“The WAM Research grants provide vital seed funding to further our understanding of why women are disproportionately impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. These grants are critically important as we face a future where dementia cases are projected to double by 2060, with women representing more than half of those new cases,” said Dr. Ridgeway. “The findings from WAM-funded studies not only advance our understanding of women’s increased risk for the disease, but also generate additional downstream research funding, creating a multiplier effect in this crucial field.”
For the first time, WAM will bestow Awards for Leadership in women’s health research and caregiving:
- Emma Heming Willis, author, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and caregiver advocate, and co-founder of Make Time Wellness, will receive the Caregiving Award for her outstanding work in advocating for unpaid family caregivers.
- MOSH –The Brain Brand®, founded by mother-son duo Maria Shriver and Patrick Schwarzenegger, will receive the Corporate Leadership Award for their ongoing support of WAM, having provided more than $250,000 to support WAM Research grants and promoted the importance of brain health and Alzheimer’s education to millions of consumers nationwide.
- Elaine Wynn, businesswoman and philanthropist, will be recognized posthumously with the Leadership Award for her substantial contributions to women’s health research and Alzheimer’s prevention.
“There’s no roadmap or guide to becoming a caregiver, and we desperately need more education and support resources for those in this 24/7/365 role. Being recognized by WAM is deeply meaningful to me and reflects the importance of raising awareness about brain health and the caregiving journey,” said Heming Willis. “I’ve seen firsthand how critical research and education are in combating the stigma and impact of neurodegenerative diseases on those living with them, and their families. This Forum is an essential step in recognizing the vital role caregivers play and continuing to advocate for their support.”
The Forum is appropriately held at the home of the WAM Prevention and Research Center – a first-of-its-kind clinic combining clinical care and innovative research to better understand why women are more at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and how to prevent it.
The clinic, a partnership between Shriver and Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health co-founders Camille and Larry Ruvo, builds on growing scientific evidence suggesting that up to 45% of Alzheimer’s cases could be prevented through healthy lifestyle modifications. As the WAM Prevention and Research Center approaches its fifth anniversary in June, it is already contributing to a new era of understanding why women are disproportionately impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and how it might be prevented.
Key achievements of the WAM Prevention and Research Center include:
- Seen more than 457 women from 31 states, totaling over 1,658 patient visits.
- Enrolled more than 281 women (61% of patients) into research focused on understanding the role of stress and estrogen, evaluating lifestyle interventions, and assessing changing risk factors.
- Produced 31 talks, 26 publications, and 52 posters/abstracts on the link between sex and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Received approximately $8 million in federal grant funding to further examine sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease.
- Pioneered characterization of women seeking preventive services in Alzheimer’s disease and their shared risk factors, including behavioral health issues and medical comorbidities.
“The data we’ve collected over the past five years has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of women’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease, and events like the WAM Forum help ensure these findings reach both the scientific community and the public,” said Camille Ruvo, co-founder and vice chairwoman of Keep Memory Alive, the fundraising arm of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. “Through continued research, it is our hope that one day prevention will be as widely accepted as an approach in brain health as it is in heart disease.”
The WAM Forum is free to attend, but space is limited. Those interested in learning more and registering can visit cle.clinic/WAMForum.
Livestream Option: For those unable to attend in person, a livestream of the event will be available on Monday, May 19 at 12 p.m. PT at https://vimeo.com/event/5112588.
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