Deborah Dean In partnership with Ibadat Warring of the CAN-PROTECT Team

In my family, the lucky genetic lottery meant that, at the occasion of my grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary, we were able to gather together five generations.

Every day, we are encouraged by doctors, family, or media to make choices to extend our lives. We are fortunate to live in a place and time of public health measures, as well as ever-advancing medical arts and sciences that make living a longer life possible, if not probable. For some, the outcome of a long life will be an aging brain that impacts wellness and quality of life. In three generations of my family, some of those who lived into their eighties and nineties experienced cognitive decline, leading to distress— not only for the person with cognitive decline but also for their family and caregivers. At a time when stigma surrounding mental illness is being rightly challenged, stereotypes and prejudices continue to affect the self-esteem of those managing their own cognitive

health. The health-care system is sometimes unable to diagnose or meet their needs, and we struggle with treatment beyond segregation.

As an alumna and a retiree of the University of Calgary, I feel part of the UCalgary family. When I heard my alma mater was part of a broad-based study about dementia( CAN-PROTECT), I knew that I wanted to participate and learn more about a condition that will affect our aging demographic and, maybe someday, me too. While the pathology of these syndromes remains mysterious, I hope that CAN-PROTECT will be a leader in moving us into a more robust response to patient care, including diagnostic testing, treatment advice, and preventing disease.

Our lifestyle, health, and life experiences all play a role in how our brains change over time. CAN- PROTECT is a Canada-wide online study exploring how lifestyle and background factors contribute to risk and resilience in brain aging, health, quality of

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