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The Washington University ADRC is actively involved in providing education about Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders for students, health professionals, and the lay public. Much of the Center’s educational initiatives are coordinated through the Education Core, but all components and faculty of the Center contribute significantly to these efforts.
The Education Core, currently under the leadership of Dr. Jim Galvin*, coordinates the oldest continuing weekly seminar series on the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) campus – started in 1979 by ADRC founding director, Dr. Leonard Berg – and serves as a primary hub for information transfer in support of our ongoing research and clinical enterprises. The Core coordinates educational offerings for all ADRC stakeholders, from our own research participants and their family members, to medical students first learning about Alzheimer’s disease, to residents and fellows rotating through our Center, to faculty and staff of the University, to professionals in our community and beyond, and others (including an increasing number of trainees from outside of the United States). The Core also plays a critical bridging role linking our Center to the wider community and other organizations, such as the Alzheimer’s Association, that serve the needs of persons with dementia and their families.
At the same time, the Core benefits enormously from the ADRC as a whole, as well as its individual components. In particular, the Core interacts closely with the Clinical Core; almost all of the Core’s activities engage Clinical Core faculty in planning and execution, and very often Clinical Core faculty (as well as faculty from other ADRC components) serve as presenters at Core programs. The Education Core is also strongly supported by the Administrative Core, which has helped to secure additional funds to enable special initiatives to be accomplished. The Core Leader*, Dr. Galvin, is an active member of the ADRC’s Executive Committee and attends the weekly Leadership Meeting when appropriate. The Education Core thus is fully integrated into almost all ADRC activities. The Education Core must be flexible to meet changing educational and training needs of the Center and its constituents, whether as a primary coordinator, a collaborative participant, a conduit for getting the word out, or a consultant in the background.
* Thomas M. Meuser, PhD (October 1999 - April 2007)
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