Three were honored at UNMC this year with annual awards for researchers who battle Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions related to aging.
Two faculty members received the Oldfield Award. They were:
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Kalpana Padala, M.D. |
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Michele Balas, Ph.D. |
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Crystal Reyelts |
- Kalpana Padala, M.D., former assistant professor and research geriatrician in the UNMC Department of Family Medicine who left UNMC this year; and
- Michele Balas, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UNMC College of Nursing.
UNMC medical student Crystal Reyelts received the Nancy and Ronald Reagan Alzheimer’s Scholarship Fund Award.
Innovation honored
Dr. Padala was recognized for her research into innovative ways to prevent falls in patients with Alzheimer’s dementia.
When she left UNMC earlier this year, the Oldfield Award – which comes with a $10,000 stipend — was transferred to Dr. Balas, who leads a multidisciplinary team that tests a model to effectively screen, prevent and treat delirium in The Nebraska Medical Center adult intensive care unit (ICU).
Addressing a major problem
Two-thirds of patients in ICUs develop delirium, a devastating and sometimes deadly condition often referred to as “acute confusion.” Half of those discharged later suffer from a debilitating dementia-like illness that can require nursing home care.
“Dr. Balas’ selected area of research is among the most important acute health problems experienced by older adults,” said Jane F. Potter, M.D., Harris Professor of Geriatric Medicine and chief of the UNMC Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology. “Her approach will help reduce long-term disability from this often devastating problem.”
The late Col. Barney Oldfield established the award in honor of his wife, Vada Kinman Oldfield, who battled Alzheimer’s for 11 years.
Looking for the aging switch
Working in the lab of assistant geriatrics professor Stephen Bonasera, M.D., Ph.D., Reyelt — the Reagan Award recipient — focused age-related changes in the human brain.
Since aging of the brain contributes to the cognitive decline found in Alzheimer’s disease, the goal of the research was to study genes that are “turned on” in the aging process.
The Kinman-Oldfield Family Foundation established the award to honor the late president who battled Alzheimer’s for 10 years. The award recognizes scientists for promising research into Alzheimer’s disease and comes with a $5,000 stipend.