Hosted by Sharon & Rick Fownes, Duxbury, MA

Robert D. Moir, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in Neurology, Harvard Medical School; Director of Moir Lab, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)

Australian native, Dr. Rob Moir received his Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne. In 1994, Rob joined the research unit of Dr. Rudy Tanzi at MGH. His recent acclaimed work, which is funded in part by Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, focuses on the role of abeta, the protein fragments which aggregate together to form plaques in the brain, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Moir has found that abeta is actually part of the body’s innate immune system, as it surrounds bacteria and viruses to protect the brain. This revolutionary discovery, which received much national media attention last year, is telling researchers that they can’t simply kill abeta and make the patient better. Abeta has to be modulated and controlled so it can do its important job.

Lisa Genova, Ph.D.

Best Selling Author

Lisa Genova graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, she is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Still Alice, which tells the story of Dr. Alice Howland (played by Julianne Moore in the movie) who comes face-to-face with a devastating diagnosis: early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Lisa is also the author of the bestselling novels Left Neglected, Love Anthony, and Inside the O’Briens. Lisa has appeared on the Today Show, Dr. Oz, CNN, Chronicle, Fox News, and more speaking about neurological diseases and disorders. In 2015, Lisa was named one of the U.S. Top 50 Influencers in Aging.