OGA's 2022 Virtual Annual Conference

"Grey Matters: Innovative Approaches to Advance Brain Health & Aging" 

Register here for the Annual Conference of the Oregon Gerontological Association to be held virtually in October! The conference kicks off on the evening of Thursday, October 13th from 7-8:45pm, with the remaining three sessions on the following three Fridays: October 14th, 21st, and 28th from 9:30am-12:00pm.

We invite you to participate and engage in a month-long series of professionally produced, interactive sessions, all from the comfort and safety of your home or office. The human brain is one of the most complex things we have discovered in our universe. Our brain is what makes us human, allowing us to think and feel, initiating how we move, controlling our behavior. As we age, many have fears and questions about neurological changes and how best to maintain health. At this year's conference, we will feature national and local experts on the aging brain who will share the most current and innovative policy and programmatic approaches for supporting life-long brain health. 

Issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion will be woven throughout the program, with an emphasis on strengths-based and resilient approaches to aging. Each session will also include actionable suggestions and best practices from exemplary programs and policies. 

Each session will also feature multiple experts in the field of aging and include 1.5 to 2 hours of content.

For questions or more information contact [email protected]


Program 

Thursday, October 13th from 7:00 pm - 8:45 pm
Citizen Brain: Brain Health Through Comedy and Empathy 

Session Facilitator: Melissa Cannon 

Join us for an evening of laughter and learning as we kick off the conference with San Francisco-based comedian, Josh Kornbluth. Through storytelling, Josh will help strengthen our brains' recently discovered empathy circuit, exploring the intersection of brain science and social justice issues. He is also a former Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)'s Global Brain Health Institute. 


Friday, October 14th from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm 
Global, National, & Local Perspectives on Brain Health: Implications for Diverse Populations 

Session Facilitators & Discussants: Josh Kornbluth (Senior Atlantic Fellow, Global Brain Health Institute) and Walter Dawson, DPhil (Senior Atlantic Fellow, Global Brain Health Institute; and OHSU Layton Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Center) 

  • Current Research on Lifestyle Strategies to Keep Brains Healthy - Sarah Lenz Lock, JD (Executive Director, Global Council on Brain Health, AARP) 
  • Approaching the Latinx Community: Encouraging Seniors to Maximize Brain Health and Why That’s Important - Itzel Castellanos (Client Manager, Providence Health & Services) 
  • The Behavioral Health Initiative for Older Adults and People with Physical Disabilities - Nirmala Dhar, LCSW, ACSW (Older Adult Behavioral Health Project Director, Oregon Health Authority) 

Friday, October 21st from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm 
Initiatives to Promote Brain Health 

Session Facilitator: Joyce DeMonnin

  • Funding for Neuroscience Research - Representative Earl Blumenauer (Co-Chair, U.S. Congressional Neuroscience Caucus) 
  • Emerging Issues in Psychiatry: A Conversation with Rawle Andrews - Rawle Andrews, Jr., Esq., JD (Executive Director, American Psychiatric Association Foundation) 
  • Frontotemporal Dementia & Mental Health - Vimal Aga, MD (Oregon State Hospital; and OHSU Layton Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Center)
  • Lonely? Who, Me? Findings from an Oregon Loneliness & Isolation Technology Project - Ann McQueen, PhD (Community Services and Supports Manager, Aging and People with Disabilities, Oregon Department of Human Services, Salem, OR); Cassandra Hutchinson, AAOT, CRS-A/D (Data and Quality Assurance Analyst, Community Services and Supports Unit, Aging and People with Disabilities Program, Oregon Department of Human Services); and Lynelle Bergman, BS, NCMA, NCPT (SHIBA Field Services Representative, Community Services and Supports Unit, Aging and People with Disabilities Program, Oregon Department of Human Services) 

Friday, October 28th from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Taking Action: Promoting Healthy Brain Aging & Resilience 

Session Facilitator: Margaret Neal 

  • Nutrition and Healthy Aging Brain: What's New and What Can We Do? - Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH (Oregon Health & Science University) 
  • Sleep & the Aging Brain - Michael V. Vitiello, PhD (University of Washington) 
  • Mindful Movement and Meditation for Brain Health - Diane Butera, 500RYT-E/YACP (Mindful Wellness) 

Continuing Education Credit

Each session has been approved for CE credits (NASW Oregon Chapter) and AFH training credits - that's a total of 7.5 CE credits if you attend the entire series. Session 1 is approved for 1.5 CE credits and sessions 2, 3, and 4 are approved for 2 CE credits each. There will be a $10 fee per session for NASW credits. Regular Certificates of Attendance can also be issued.

To receive a certificate, attendees must attend the session(s) for their entire length and complete a post-session evaluation survey.


Pricing

Non-Members:

  • $25 per session
  • $90 for all 4 sessions

OGA Members (Professional/ Organizational):

  • $15 per session
  • $50 for all 4 sessions

OGA Members (Student/ Senior) & Registrants with Limited Financial Means:

  • $10 per session
  • $30 for all 4 sessions

Becoming a member will pay off immediately - please visit our membership page for current member rates and do the math!

If you cannot afford attending at all, please email us to learn about scholarship opportunities.


Sponsorship

Are you or your organization interested in being a sponsor for this event? For more information, including sponsorship levels and benefits, please download our Sponsor Information Sheet (PDF). To become a sponsor, please complete the online Sponsor Agreement Form. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.


2022 Presenting Sponsors:


2022 Session Sponsors:

    


2022 Supporting Sponsors: