Penn Memory Center

10/28/2025

Art has the power to heal, restore, and reconnect us to who we are.

The newest episode of The Age of Aging, “Making Art, Creating Mind,” explores how creativity sustains identity and meaning in the face of brain disease.

Stage designer Joe Vanek, poet Scott LaMascus, and illustrator neesa becker-Procaccino each show that aging and illness do not silence imagination, they transform it.

🎧 Listen here: bit.ly/4oE3LK2

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and the TIAA Institute.

10/24/2025

“I was standing there when six people started talking to me about Alzheimer’s.”

That’s how Neurologist and Author Daniel Gibbs describes one of his most unexpected encounters since sharing his diagnosis publicly.

In the latest episode of The Age of Aging, Dr. Gibbs speaks with Penn Memory Center Co-Director Dr. Jason Karlawish about what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s after a career spent treating it.

From dog walks and reading to moments of confusion and humor, Dan opens up about how he and his wife, Lois Seed, stay grounded through change.

🎧 Listen, share with a caregiver or clinician, and join the conversation: bit.ly/471m1Gg

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and the TIAA Institute.

10/23/2025

10/22/2025

Caring for someone with dementia can be overwhelming. The Empowering Caregivers Workshop Series is here to guide and support you through those challenges.

Join the next session:
How to Read a Research Paper: Understanding Scientific Writing for Dementia Caregivers
🗓 Thursday, October 31, 12 p.m.
🎙 With Dr. Emma Rhodes, Penn FTD Center

Learn how to navigate scientific papers, understand technical language, and apply research findings to caregiving.

Online, free and open to the public.
Register or share with someone who might benefit: bit.ly/47BEU42

10/21/2025

“When I introduce Dan for a talk, I sit in the front row now. He’ll turn to me when he loses his place, and I help him find the word.”

In the latest episode of the Age of Aging, Lois Seed shares what it means to care for her husband, Neurologist and Author Daniel Gibbs, who lives with Alzheimer’s disease.

Lois talks about patience, humor, and partnership, the quiet, daily acts that make caregiving both challenging and deeply human. She also explains how connecting with other caregivers gives her strength and understanding that even family can’t always provide.

🎧 Listen, share with a caregiver or clinician, and join the conversation: bit.ly/471m1Gg

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and the TIAA Institute.

10/20/2025

Happening this week: A REFUTATION

History comes alive on stage and screen.
Join acclaimed actors David Strathairn, Eric Berryman, and Michael Braugher for dramatic readings of conflicting accounts of Philadelphia’s 1793 yellow fever epidemic, followed by guided discussions on health inequities today.

📅 Thursday, October 23 | 2 & 6 p.m.
📍 Mother Bethel AME Church
🔗 Free & open to the public. Register now: bit.ly/4709IuZ

Presented by Theater of War Productions in partnership with Mother Bethel AME Church, and supported by The Greenwall Foundation.

10/17/2025

Doctors have reported the first successful treatment for Huntington’s disease, a rare inherited condition that affects movement, thinking, and behavior. The new gene therapy slowed disease progression by 75%, giving patients years with better quality of life.

While Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s are different causes of dementia, this progress opens the door for treatment approaches that may one day help people with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.

10/16/2025

🎶 Memory Café returns tomorrow, October 17.

Join us for a morning of live music with the Quaker Notes, Penn’s all-female-identifying a ca****la group. They’ll perform fresh arrangements across contemporary genres in a relaxed and friendly setting.

📍 Ralston House, 3615 Chestnut Street, room 241
🕚 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (doors open 10:30)
Open to patients and caregivers

✨ See what last year’s performance felt like in the video below!
➡️ Register here or share with someone who’d enjoy it: bit.ly/4o6rF0B

Experience the magic of music at Penn Memory Center’s Memory Café!Enjoy this special performance by the Quaker Notes, UPenn’s all-female-identifying a cappel...

10/15/2025

What is it like to be Dan?
In this week’s episode of The Age of Aging, Neurologist and Author Daniel Gibbs, who lives with Alzheimer’s, joins with his wife and caregiver, Lois Seed, for an intimate conversation at life after diagnosis with Penn Memory Center Co-Director Dr. Jason Karlawish.

They talk about daily routines, memory changes, caregiving, and finding purpose in the middle of it all.

🎧 Listen, share with a caregiver or clinician, and join the conversation: bit.ly/471m1Gg

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and the TIAA Institute.

10/14/2025

Special Event: A REFUTATION

History comes alive on stage and screen.
Join acclaimed actors David Strathairn, Eric Berryman, and Michael Braugher for dramatic readings of conflicting accounts of Philadelphia’s 1793 yellow fever epidemic, followed by guided discussions on health inequities today.

📅 Thursday, October 23 | 2 & 6 p.m.
📍 Mother Bethel AME Church
🔗 Free & open to the public. Register now: bit.ly/4709IuZ

Presented by Theater of War Productions in partnership with Mother Bethel AME Church, and supported by The Greenwall Foundation.

10/10/2025

The latest episode of The Age of Aging is all about dogs! From companionship to caregiving support, we look at the many ways our four-legged friends shape healthy aging and dementia care.

Check it out here: bit.ly/46BB5di

Have a favorite dog story of your own? Share it in the comments.

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and the TIAA Institute.

10/09/2025