Home Blog Keeping Dementia at Bay, Every Day | A PNI Panel Discussion

September 21, 2023

Keeping Dementia at Bay, Every Day | A PNI Panel Discussion

by Anthony Effinger

The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. Host: Anthony Effinger

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Episode 43: Show Notes

Dr. David Merrill is a psychiatrist who specializes in older adults. He has a PhD in the neurobiology of aging, and he directs PNI’s Brain Health Center. His colleague Dr. Karen Miller, has a PhD in geropsychology–the psychology of older people. She is the senior director of PNI’s Brain Wellness and Lifestyle Program. Molly Rapozo is a registered dietician nutritionist.

They work as a trio to help older people stave off the ravages of dementia through diet, exercise, and cognitive training. Their work is crucial because, despite some recent, modest advances on a drug to treat Alzheimer’s, there just isn’t a pill that can keep our brains in tip-top shape as we age. What we have are some behaviors that are proven to protect the brain from premature dysfunction.

Listen to this podcast to learn what our all-star team knows about the best strategies.

About Dr. Merrill

David A. Merrill, MD, PhD, is an adult and geriatric psychiatrist with double-board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is director of the Pacific Brain Health Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, and has worked for several decades with patients suffering the behavioral health sequelae of age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disorder.

About Dr. Miller

Karen Miller, PhD, Senior Director, Brain Wellness and Lifestyle Program, is a leading national expert in the area of Memory/Cognitive Training. With more than three decades of experience in the field of aging and memory as a geropsychologist and clinical neuropsychologist, she develops and directs the implementation of Lifestyle Programs at PNI aimed at providing a roadmap to brain wellness.

About Molly Rapozo

Molly Rapozo, MS, RDN, CD, became a Registered Dietician Nutritionist after receiving her Master’s degree and completing an internship at Bastyr University, a pioneer of science-based natural medicine. Before specializing in Brain Health Coaching, Molly worked at a biotech start-up that utilized genetics, blood analytes, gut microbiome and digital self-measurements to help individuals reach their personal health goals. Based on this data and behavioral science, Molly used a personalized list of recommendations to coach participants in optimizing wellness and avoiding disease.

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Anthony Effinger

Think Neuro's host is Anthony Effinger, an award-winning journalist who is fascinated with neuroscience and the workings of the brain. Anthony spent 24 years at Bloomberg News, where he covered all aspects of finance, with forays into science and health. In 2006, the Association of Health Care Journalists awarded him first prize for Playing the Odds, an in-depth piece on the changing strategies used to treat prostate cancer. These days, he is a staff writer at Willamette Week, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Last updated: October 20th, 2023