30 Years of Alzheimer’s Prevention Conference Speakers

Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD – Program Co-Director
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was raised in Miami Beach, Florida. Since 1993, he has been the President and Medical Director of the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation in Tucson, Arizona, the original voice in the integrative or holistic medical approach to Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment. The ARPF is dedicated to ending Alzheimer’s disease through prevention research, professional trainings and educational outreach. 

Dr. Khalsa graduated from Creighton University School of Medicine in 1975, and received his postgraduate training in anesthesiology at the University of California, San Francisco where he was chief resident. As chief resident, he conducted highly acclaimed research on anesthesia for cardiac surgery and obstetrical anesthesiology. He is also a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Acupuncture for Physicians Program, and has studied mind/body medicine under the illustrious Herbert Benson, M.D. at Harvard Medical School’s Mind/Body Medical Institute. Dr. Khalsa is board certified in anesthesiology and pain management, and he is a diplomat of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

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Chris Walling, PsyD, MBA, C-IAYT, SEP – MC and Program Co-Director
Dr. Chris Walling, PsyD, MBA, C-IAYT, SEP is a licensed clinical psychologist, researcher and an active leader in the biobehavioral sciences. His work in academic medicine has included the administration of multidisciplinary leadership teams in hematology-oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and geriatric psychiatry at some of the top academic medical centers in the United States. His clinical focus in the behavioral sciences has examined the intersections of neuro-psychotherapy, affect regulation, and psychophysiology.

Dr. Walling is an Adjunct Professor of Somatic Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Past-President of the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy, and an Associate Deputy-Editor of the International Body Psychotherapy Journal. He is a Clinical Supervisor at the Wright Institute of Los Angeles, a Clinical Associate at the New Center for Psychoanalysis, and is a Clinical Research Fellow at the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium located at Indiana University where he and his colleagues are working to advance scientific insights from trauma psychology. Dr. Walling maintains a private practice in Los Angeles, California.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Karen Koffler, MD
Dr. Karen Koffler is the Medical Director for the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Miami. She works with patients on a consultative and longitudinal basis to provide Integrative Care. She received her medical degree at the University of Miami and completed her training in Internal Medicine in Chicago and the University of Colorado. She began her career as an emergency room physician in a variety of settings and helped to develop the first Hospitalist program for Kaiser Permanente in Denver.

Dr. Koffler was accepted into the first class of physicians trained by Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona. After a 2-year fellowship focused on expanding her conventional training to include nutrition, herbs, vitamins, and supplements, mind-body therapies, spirituality, Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and other alternative approaches to healing, she was recruited to Evanston Northwestern Healthcare in Chicago to design and run an Integrative Medical Clinic. In her 7-year tenure there, she proved to be a resource to the community through her influence on pharmacies in carrying supplements, educational programs and research. In 2006, she joined Canyon Ranch to spearhead their new Health and Wellness Department at Canyon Ranch Miami Beach. As the director, she saw how effective lifestyle changes were in addressing common diseases and in creating well-being. She oversaw a staff of multiple integrative clinicians who worked together to optimize an individual’s health.

SPEAKERS

Allan A. Anderson, MD, MMM, CMD, DLFAPA
Allan A. Anderson, MD, MMM, CMD, DLFAPA, is an experienced leader, researcher and provider eager to join the growing team, which will provide outpatient care, clinical research, education and support and community outreach.

As an expert in dementia care, Dr. Anderson has a track record of developing and incorporating innovative dementia care practice models in outpatient memory clinics, as well as specialized assisted living dementia programs. He is a strong proponent of a team approach to Alzheimer’s and dementia care which includes training interdisciplinary teams to deliver care and understanding while addressing the needs of Alzheimer’s and dementia patient and family members.

“My approach is based on empowerment. People can reach their greatest potential if they are empowered. I value the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute approach to care, which includes the patient, their family and the greater community,” said Dr. Anderson.

Dev Ashish, Ph.D.
Dr. Ashish is a clinical neuropsychologist at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. He earned his doctorate from The University of Arizona and received advanced training in neuropsychology at Center for Neurosciences, West Virginia University School of Medicine, and VA Medical Center at San Antonio, TX. He is passionate about dementia evaluation and care and conducts assessments and interventions for patients with cognitive difficulties. He has been conducting cognitive assessments and research for over 14 years and has been involved in interventions for about 12 years. He has ample experience working with individuals with neurodegenerative conditions – like Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias – and other neurological conditions, such as stroke and brain injury. He has also worked with patients experiencing cognitive symptoms secondary to medical and psychiatric conditions, such as brain tumor or PTSD.

Dr. Ashish has experience in implementing interventions using evidence-based psychotherapies, training of compensatory strategies, and other cognitive training and rehabilitation for cognitive impairments. He provides helpful recommendations to patients and care-partners, and he also consults with other providers in an interdisciplinary team for comprehensive dementia care.

Dale V. Atkins, Ph.D.
Dale V. Atkins, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in New York City, who has more than thirty years of experience as a relationship expert focusing on kindness, caregiving, families, parenting, aging well, managing stress, and balance in one’s life. An author of several books, articles, a monthly newsletter, and journals for popular and professional audiences, Dr. Atkins is a much sought-after lecturer and keynote speaker, as well as a recurrent guest expert in the media. For twenty-two years she appeared regularly on NBC-TV’s “The Today Show”.

Dr. Atkins consults domestically and internationally. She conducts seminars and retreats for executives and employees of major corporations, government agencies, and health and educational institutions in matters related to the fields of psychology, sociology, education, and communication. She also serves on the Boards of several non-profit local and national organizations whose foci are health, wellness, literacy, tolerance, and child protection. 

She is co-author of Sanity Savers and The Kindness Advantage: Cultivating Compassionate and Connected Children, a practical and concrete guide for parents and grandparents to equip a young child with the essential skills to have a positive influence on the world.

Lisa Barnes, Ph.D.
Lisa L. Barnes, PhD is the Alla V. and Solomon Jesmer Professor of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and a cognitive neuropsychologist within the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center. She is also the Associate Director of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. She received her PhD from the University of Michigan in biopsychology and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in cognitive neuroscience at the University of California, Davis. She joined the faculty of Rush as an assistant professor in 1999. Dr. Barnes has received many NIH grants and has published close to 300 manuscripts. Her research interests include disparities in chronic diseases of aging, cognitive decline, and risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Barnes is the Principal Investigator of two longitudinal community-based studies of older African Americans, including the Minority Aging Research Study (MARS), which has been funded by NIA since 2004. She advocates for recruitment of under-represented groups into clinical studies and has received many awards and fellowships.

Roberta Diaz Brinton, PhD
Roberta Diaz Brinton, PhD, is the director of the UA Center for Innovation in Brain Science at the University of Arizona Health Sciences in Tucson, AZ. Dr. Brinton is a leading neuroscientist in the field of Alzheimer’s, the aging female brain and regenerative therapeutics. The Center works to speed the development of novel, multidisciplinary approaches to address neurodegenerative diseases through research, clinical practice interventions, education and community collaborations.

Dr. Brinton joined the UA from the University of Southern California where she was the R. Pete Vanderveen Chair in Therapeutic Discovery and Development and professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences at the School of Pharmacy; professor of neurology at the Keck School of Medicine; and professor of biomedical engineering at the Viterbi School of Engineering. She has been principal investigator for major National Institutes of Health-funded program projects and center grants focused on brain disorders, and her research has been continuously funded by NIH for more than 20 years. Dr. Brinton has more than 160 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and has authored 30 book chapters and invited reviews. She is an internationally recognized neuroscientist with more than 250 invited presentations worldwide.

Dr. Brinton currently serves on the NIH Director’s Center for Scientific Review Advisory Council and the Board of Governors of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (New York) and on the editorial review board for Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions and reviews for numerous scientific journals, including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).

Larry Griner
Larry Griner moved from southern California back to his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland to relieve his brother and care for his 90-year-old mother, Norma. This temporary plan eventually turned into a long-term commitment as a full-time care partner and caregiver.

Larry has stepped into the public eye to share their story and journey. He began recording videos of his mother singing/performing and posted them on social media which gained a large fan base for Norma. Larry found that he could help his mother’s mood and create some magic in their lives by playing and singing familiar music. Norma has a large following of fans worldwide and has expressed that people from all over the world have sent thousands of messages of encouragement and gratitude on the impact the videos have created.

Carol Hahn, RN
Carol Hahn is a Registered Nurse with a variety of health experience in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities,  home care and at the Alzheimer’s Association.  She teaches in several college nursing programs and conducts health presentations to community groups and professionals.  Carol is also a Registered Yoga Teacher and a Certified Personal Trainer and assists people with their health and fitness. Carol loves helping people learn about their health and wellness, and ultimately improving their quality of life.

Andrew B. Newberg, MD

Dr. Andrew Newberg is the director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health and a physician at Jefferson University Hospital. He is board certified in internal medicine and nuclear medicine.

Dr. Newberg’s research now largely focuses on how brain function is associated with various mental states—in particular, religious and mystical experiences. In fact, he has written several highly acclaimed books on this subject. His research has included brain scans of people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, as well as surveys of people’s spiritual experiences and attitudes. Dr. Newberg has also evaluated the relationship between religious or spiritual phenomena and health, and the effect of meditation on memory. He believes that it is important to keep science rigorous and religion religious.

Dr. Newberg has also used neuroimaging research projects to study aging and dementia, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, depression, and other neurological and psychiatric disorders. He is a pioneer in the neurological study of religious and spiritual experiences, a field known as “neurotheology.”