As part of its annual homecoming festivities, Houghton University will host a public panel titled “Alzheimer’s: Our Nation’s Next Epidemic.” This event will feature a plenary address by Bob Van Dyk ‘75, president and CEO of Van Dyk Health Care, followed by response and dialogue from an esteemed panel of local Alzheimer’s experts. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Cathy Freytag, associate dean of the faculty and education professor at Houghton University.

Respondents on the panel will include: Vaijayantee Belle, M.D., neurologist, Olean General Hospital; Katie Keith Badeau, LMSW, director of care consultation for the Alzheimer’s Association, WNY Chapter; and Dr. Paul Martino, professor of biochemistry at Houghton University.

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder diagnosed in more than three million individuals each year. The panelists will discuss what we know about this aggressive disease and what research has been done into potential treatments.

Featured Guests

Since 1994, Mr. Van Dyk has served the president and CEO of Van Dyk Health Care in New Jersey. This healthcare organization operates two skilled nursing and post-acute care facilities, as well as an assisted living community with a specialty memory impairment program. Van Dyk Memory Care provides a safe and secure setting where individuals with Alzheimer’s and related memory impairments can benefit from daily activities and programming designed to enrich “mind, body, and soul.”

Vaijayantee Belle, M.D., a neurologist at Olean General Hospital, has nearly twenty years of clinical experience in neuroscience. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Katie Keith Badeau is a Licensed Master Social Worker, and the Director of Care Consultation for the WNY Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She has been with the Alzheimer’s Association since 2015, and in her current role, she provides consultations, support, and referrals, as well as overseeing the chapter’s 24/7 Dementia Helpline.

Paul Martino is a professor of biochemistry at Houghton University, as well as a member of the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Mass Spectrometry. He first became interested in Alzheimer’s research in 2006, and has been exploring possible ways to apply existing biochemical research to potential Alzheimer’s treatments. Last year, Martino gave a lecture at Houghton titled “Unraveling Protein Aggregation—Alzheimer’s Research” where he discussed his work on this topic.

Cathy Freytag serves as the associate dean of the faculty and is a professor of education at Houghton University. In 2018 she received Houghton’s Excellence in Teaching Award, one of its most prestigious honors for faculty.

Information for Attendees

The event is open to the public and will take place on Friday, October 4, 2019 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in the Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts on Houghton University campus (Houghton, NY). Following the plenary address and responses from panelists, the floor will be open for questions from the audience.

To learn more, or for additional information about other Homecoming Weekend events, please contact the Houghton University Office of Advancement at 585.567.9340 or advancement@houghton.edu.