The president of the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association says a sharp increase in federal funding for Alzheimer's research is needed as the country's baby boomers become senior citizens.Teri Shirk says the current National Institutes of Health budget for Alzheimer's is about $500 million, and should be quadrupled to help scientists find a cure or develop better treatments."Unless something significant happens in research, we will go from five million people in the United States with Alzheimer's to 16 million by mid-century," she said. Shirk says as is the case with most non-profits, donations to her chapter have been down, but are starting to show some slow improvement.President Obama has declared November Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.