ONLINE: Jason Karlawish

media release: In 2020, an estimated 5.8 million Americans had Alzheimer’s, and more than half a million will die of the disease and its devastating complications. 16 million caregivers are responsible for paying as much as half of the $226 billion annual costs of their care. As more people live beyond their seventies and eighties, the number of patients will rise to an estimated 13.8 million by 2025. Dr. Jason Karlawish will appear live on Crowdcast to discuss his new book, The Problem of Alzheimer's with Dorothy Farrar Edwards, co-lead of the All of Us Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Join the event at: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/wbf-problem-alzheimers. Before the event begins, you will see a countdown and the event image.

Part case studies, part meditation on the past, present and future of the disease, The Problem of Alzheimer's: How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease into a Crisis and What We Can Do About It traces Alzheimer’s from its beginnings to its recognition as a crisis. While it is an unambiguous account of decades of missed opportunities and our health care systems’ failures to take action, it tells the story of the biomedical breakthroughs that may allow Alzheimer’s to finally be prevented and treated by medicine and also presents an argument for how we can live with dementia: the ways patients can reclaim their autonomy and redefine their sense of self, how families can support their loved ones, and the innovative reforms we can make as a society that would give caregivers and patients better quality of life. Rich in science, history, and characters, The Problem of Alzheimer's takes us inside laboratories, patients' homes, caregivers’ support groups, progressive care communities, and Jason Karlawish's own practice at the Penn Memory Center.   

This series, featuring authors and books focused on health care issues faced by underserved communities, is made possible through a partnership with the Madison Public Library and the All of Us Research Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As part of the partnership, free copies of The Problem of Alzheimer's will be distributed for free to the first 100 attendees who sign up. During the event,there will be a link at the bottom of the screen, fill out the form, and a book will be sent to you.

Jason Karlawish is a physician and writer. He researches and writes about issues at the intersections of bioethics, aging, and the neurosciences. He is the author of the novel Open Wound: The Tragic Obsession of Dr. William Beaumont and his essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is a Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy, and Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania and Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center, where he cares for patients. He lives in Philadelphia.