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Photographer Susan Sidebottom explores memory and Alzheimer’s through deeply personal work, featured by the Duke/UNC ADRC and presented June 27.

It will come as no secret that there are strong links between physical health and brain health. “What is good for the heart is good for the head!” has become a popular slogan, urging the public to adopt a healthy lifestyle (diet, exercise, and managing cardiovascular risk conditions) in order to reduce the risk for both heart disease and late-life dementias.

On May 15, 2026, researchers, clinicians, trainees, and staff from across North Carolina gathered at the UNC Friday Center in Chapel Hill for the 4th Annual Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) SLAM‑DUNC Symposium—the Symposium for Learning about Alzheimer’s Disease‑related Medical Research at Duke & UNC

There are more than a hundred types of dementia, all of which are caused by different changes in the brain. The most well-known is Alzheimer’s disease, caused by a build-up of the proteins amyloid and tau. Then there’s another protein called alpha-synuclein, which builds up into clumps called Lewy bodies, which cause other forms of dementia.

A new Duke study is exploring whether cells inside the nose could reveal early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers say detecting the disease sooner could help patients start treatments that may slow its progression.

Most dementia involves multiple brain changes, not Alzheimer’s alone. The national CLARiTi study—joined by the Duke UNC ADRC—aims to untangle these causes for better diagnosis and treatment.