Why Does Alzheimers Disease Disproportionately Affect African-Americans?
“I was born in Haiti, and I am very interested in cross cultural health, particularly the question of why African-Americans have two times the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease as Americans of European descent,” says Marie-Florence Shadlen, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. Dr. Shadlen took a circuitous route to the field of geriatric research. She completed her fellowship in geriatrics at Stanford University in 1990, after which she began her career as a clinician teacher in geriatrics and a medical director of an Alzheimer’s unit. According to Dr. Shadlen, this career choice was a good fit with her roles as both mother and physician. As her children got older, she turned her focus to professional interests and career advancement. But without a track record in research it was difficult for her to get started. Marie-Florence Shadlen, MD, University of Washington, Seattle,WA, with
