About this Event

One Gustave L. Levy Place New York, NY 10029-6574

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Short Bio:

Sindana Ilango, PhD, MPH is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington, Department of Epidemiology. She is an environmental epidemiologist whose research aims to understand the role of climate change and the neighborhood environment in aging-related health outcomes. Much of her current work examines the effect of air pollution on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), methodological considerations when studying aging populations, and racial/ethnic disparities in ADRD.  She received her PhD in Epidemiology jointly at San Diego State University and UC San Diego and MPH in Epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

 

Abstract:

As global life expectancy increases, there is heightened public health concern about cognitive impairment and dementia in older age. Without current effective treatment, research has expanded to focus on identifying modifiable risk factors to support healthy cognitive aging. Air pollution is a unique modifiable risk factor, as exposure levels can be influenced by individual behaviors and environmental policies. While epidemiologic studies have observed associations between air pollution and dementia in some populations, the causal mechanisms remain unclear, and these studies face methodological challenges. This presentation will review current epidemiologic evidence on air pollution and dementia, highlighting approaches to address these challenges, the role of air pollution in exacerbating racial and socioeconomic disparities in cognitive impairment and dementia, and the potential for environmental policies to improve health outcomes among aging populations.

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