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Quality in Life, Wellness and Community
Dear Readers,
Another exciting fall has swept by, filled with
interesting research, programs and
workshops. We have had a very successful year and KIHA faculty have
received funding from the NIH and from many other funding agencies.
Congratulations to Dr. Aurélie Ledreux, who received a highly coveted
Alzheimer Association grant, and to Dr. Eric Chess, who received one of few awarded Next 50 Initiative grants. KIHA
faculty are collaborating with many other faculty and students across DU
and also with other Universities. This has resulted in many interdisciplinary
publications and presentations. We also had many community programs
this year. I hope you joined us for some of these programs, spanning from
faculty and student chalk talks, seminars, workshops, webinars,
educational seminars, and classes. Together with OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute), we have had a group
of OLLI members meeting monthly
during the fall focusing on Artificial Intelligence in the KIHA space. Many of
the KIHA faculty have participated in OLLI or other community classes focused
on Financial Security, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and healthy aging.
The community organizations working with us on education programs are OLLI, Dementia Friendly Denver, and A Little
Help to name a few.
We have also started a series of Lunch & Learn sessions at KIHA, with the first
session focused on Parkinson’s disease in November. If you are curious about the programs offered at KIHA, you can find
information on our website or email us: [email protected].
We hope that you had a chance to
attend our holiday celebration on December 7. We focused this year’s celebration on World War II veterans,
and we had some interesting speakers. The first speaker was Dr. William Koch,
a 98-year-old physicist who participated in the Manhattan Project as a young
graduate student. Dr. Leah Weinberg, who is a Visiting Professor in Musicology in the Lamont School, followed Dr. Koch.
December 2018 Newsletter
From the Director
continued on p. 2
Dr. Weinberg talked about the history and societal context of the music of the
WWII era, including the USO and what that music means to the veterans.
The celebration also featured photographs and stories from U.S.
Veterans displayed around the event space for attendees to read about their
bravery and life stories. Some photos did not contain a story, a poignant
reminder of the ravages of dementia. Dr. Roddy MacInnes, a DU Studio Art and Photography professor, produced these
lovely portraits and provided the integrated photo and story prints.
On a sad note, the KIHA benefactor Betty Knoebel passed away earlier in the
fall. Mrs. Knoebel did so much good for DU and for the Knoebel Institute, and we are forever grateful for her
contribution.
I would like to take a moment to thank
everyone who has contributed to the Institute during this year and earlier
years. We could not have accomplished what we have in such a short time period without your help!
Finally, I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year,
with hopes of another interesting and fulfilling year.
Dr. Lotta Granholm Executive Director
From the Director (continued from p. 1)
Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging | December 2018 Newsletter | page 2
Dr. William Koch. Dr. Leah Weinberg.
Attendees at KIHA’s December 7th event listen
to the presentations.
Pictured from left: Narma Welch, Dr. Granholm,
Dr. H. W. Koch, Kathy Koch McClintic.
Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging | December 2018 Newsletter | page 3
Dr. Aurélie Ledreux joined KIHA in October 2016. Dr. Granholm invited her
to move from the Granholm lab at the Medical University of South Carolina to
Denver to join KIHA. Dr. Ledreux began her career at KIHA as a postdoctoral
fellow, or postdoc, as the position is known in the research world.
After only one year at KIHA, Dr. Ledreux was promoted to the position of
Assistant Research Professor. In the short time since her promotion, Dr. Ledreux
has won two grants. The first is a highly coveted Alzheimer’s Association grant. KIHA is proud to have an assistant
research professor who is the only recipient of such a grant in Colorado this
year. In addition, Dr. Ledreux received a KIHA pilot grant. Both grants involve
research on exosomes as biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease.
What led to Dr. Ledreux’s interest in aging and groundbreaking work on
biomarkers?
Dr. Ledreux grew up just outside of Paris, France and began her career with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the
University Pierre et Marie Curie in 2001. She chose Biology due to her fascination
for the complexity and diversity of life.
After graduating, Dr. Ledreux took evening classes in food science, and
eventually earned an internship in Paris
at the National Museum of Natural
History. There her research focused on
the character-ization and
detection of marine natural toxins produced by
microalgae.
Dr. Ledreux earned a Master’s degree
in Toxicology in 2005, completed an Engineering degree in food science in 2006, and then
started her doctoral work at the French Agency for Food, Environmental and
Occupational Health & Safety. She graduated with a Ph.D. in Environmental
Toxicology in 2010. Her Ph.D. work focused on the development of in vitro cell assays to assess the risk for human
health linked to the onset of emerging marine natural toxins in fish products.
Once Dr. Ledreux completed her Ph.D. work, she moved into her postdoctoral
work in Paris. In 2011, Dr. Leadreux was awarded with
a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Research Council of the
National Academics to work at the Marine Biotoxins Program for NOAA. She
then moved with her husband and French cat to Charleston. Her projects
Spotlight on KIHA Assistant Research Professor Dr. Aurélie Ledreux
continued on p. 4
Dr. Aurélie Ledreux
Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging | December 2018 Newsletter | page 4
focused on investigating the transfer of marine biotoxins in the food web.
In 2014, Dr. Ledreux joined Dr. Lotta
Granholm’s lab at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston as a
postdoctoral researcher. Her work there looked at the effect of a high fat diet and inflammation on cognition in aging
animal models.
Dr. Ledreux’s current research focuses on studying aging biomarkers in
biofluids, primarily blood. She also mentors DU undergraduates on their own projects throughout the year (see
p. 7 for more about the projects of the students mentored by Dr. Ledreux). Most
recently, she worked with a DU student on how curiosity can affect aging
biomarker levels in the elderly.
In the future, Dr. Ledreux hopes to identify biomarkers for early neuro-
degenerative disease detection.
Dr. Ledreux using a microscope to
review specimens in the KIHA lab.
Research Focus:
Using Immunocal® to Treat Brain Injury
Spotlight on Dr. Aurélie Ledreux (continued from p. 3)
Dr. Dan Linseman and his team of researchers at DU study the
neuroprotective and therapeutic effects of natural products. Their
paper entitled “The cysteine-rich whey protein supplement,
Immunocal®, preserves brain glutathione and improves cognitive, motor, and
histopathological indices of traumatic brain injury in a mouse
model of controlled cortical impact” was published in August in the scientific
journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a world-wide health issue that affects many
individuals including athletes, military
continued on p. 5
Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging | December 2018 Newsletter | page 5
personnel, young children, and the elderly. TBI results in devastating and
long-lasting consequences. These include learning deficits, motor
impairment, brain inflammation, and neuronal cell death. TBI may also
increase the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the
common occurrence and damaging outcomes of TBI, few preventative
measures and treatment options are available.
This is why the work of Dr. Linseman and his lab is critical. In their publication,
the lab used a model of TBI to explore the protective effects of the whey
protein supplement, Immunocal®, against the harmful actions of TBI.
Immunocal® acts as a precursor for glutathione (GSH), an essential antioxidant in the brain. GSH protects
cells against damage from free radicals, molecules which are normally produced
at low levels in a healthy brain.
However, following TBI, free radical production is dramatically increased in the injured brain. Neurotrophic factors,
molecules which support growth and survival of neurons, are also depleted in
the brain following TBI. Pre-treatment with Immunocal® for one month prior to
TBI resulted in preservation of brain GSH and neurotrophic factors.
Immunocal® also reduced inflammation and protected neurons from free radical damage, ultimately decreasing cell
death. As a result, pre-treatment with
Immunocal® hastened recovery and corrected cognitive and motor
impairments.
These findings are promising and indicate that Immunocal® could be used
as a safe nutritional supplement in populations that are at a high risk for TBI, such as athletes in contact sports
and military personnel. Detrimental effects on the brain may be minimized,
ultimately sparing affected individuals from potentially tragic long-term
consequences of TBI.
The abstract of this paper is available to view online at: https://
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ 29940352. Please email
[email protected] for a full PDF version of the paper.
Members of the Linseman lab at the 2018 Walk
to Defeat ALS at Sloan’s Lake. From left: Srivalli
Puttagunta, Nathan Duval, Lilia Koza, Dan Linseman and Claudia Pena.
Research Focus (continued from p. 4)
LinkAGES Colorado: Connecting Generations is a collaborative initiative
committed to the prevention and reduction of social
isolation through the creation of
opportunities to develop lasting, substantive
relationships across generations. LinkAGES
is a collaboration of community
organizations that serve populations
across the lifespan. Members include
Kavod Senior Life, Shalom Park, Jewish Family Services, the Staenberg-Loup
Jewish Community Center, Denver Jewish Day School, and Generations
United. Additionally, the University of Denver provides evaluation and background research support for all
LinkAGES programs. KIHA houses the LinkAGESoffice, where program
coordinator Carson De Fries works. Funding for the LinkAGES Colorado
initiative has been generously provided by the Strear Family Foundation.
These intergenerational programs provide opportunities for different
generations to come together to serve as resources for one another and to
their communities by sharing experiences, knowledge, and skills that
are mutually beneficial and foster positive relationships.
Research has shown the benefits of interactions between the younger and
older generations. For children, studies have shown improvements in academic
growth, increased empathy, confidence and social esteem. For older adults
improvements are seen in physical health and well-being, brain health, and quality of life. Overall benefits for the
community are increased social connectedness, civic engagement,
reductions in social isolation, and environmental consciousness. Essential
to all these programs are interactions that meet the needs of participants of all ages by cultivating understanding and
friendship between the generations.
LinkAGES’ first round of pilot projects, launched in the Spring of 2018, were a
collaborative effort between Shalom Park, Kavod, Jewish Student Connection, and Hazon that brought
older adults and high-school students together around sharing stories of and
preparing traditional foods. The program was well received by participants of all
ages. In response to a question about feeling connected with the youth, one older adult replied, “She is my new
grandchild.” Members are currently planning a second round of pilot
projects to launch in Fall 2018/Spring 2019 with diverse themes including
photography, art, food, and mentorship.
To learn more or contribute, please email
the LinkAGES Intergenerational Program Coordinator Carson De Fries at:
KIHA Collaborates with Intergenerational Program
Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging | December 2018 Newsletter | page 6
Carson De Fries
Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging | December 2018 Newsletter | page 7
KIHA’s Student Collaborators Presented at
Research & Scholarship Symposium
By Sarah Thomas This year I had
the awesome opportunity to
present my summer
research at the DU Under- graduate
Research Symposium in
the Cable Center.
My summer project explored if cognitive exercise (memory training, etc.) has an effect on inflammation levels in elderly
individuals. Inflammation levels are significant because they generally
increase as we age, indicating poorer health. To test this, I measured cytokine
levels indicative of inflammation before and after participants underwent long-term cognitive training. Although I was
unable to find a significant difference between the two time points, my
research is ongoing as the Granholm Lab continues to gain cutting-edge
technology that allows for more sensitive testing. I’m now carrying out
experiments to test if cognitive exercise has the potential to decrease Alzheimer’s biomarkers.
I deeply enjoyed the symposium. Many
who visited my poster were intrigued about what they could do to live longer,
healthier lives. My hope this year is to expand my research so that I can provide more answers to this question!
Sarah Thomas is a biology major with a
minor in psychology, chemistry, and physics of the body with a cognitive
neuroscience emphasis. She expects to graduate in Spring 2019 and aspires to be a physician researcher (MD/PhD).
By Allison Grossberg Curiosity is often used to describe the
imaginative musings of a child or the mischievous destruction of the family
dog. It is not often talked about in relation to health, aging or the
development of neurodegenerative disease—although perhaps it should be.
Recent research has uncovered a possible link between level of curiosity, and the
development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease
(AD). Based on a body of literature suggesting that curiosity may serve as a
buffer against mental decline and backed by a community of supportive,
knowledgeable and passionate individuals, I designed and ran a study that I hope will lead to discoveries about
how learning and curiosity change the brain and how such processes are
Cognitive Training in the Elderly:
A Possible Preventative Method for Chronic Inflammation
Can Curiosity Affect Blood Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease?
continued on p. 8
Sarah Thomas
Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging | December 2018 Newsletter | page 8
involved with the progression of Alzheimer’s. I am proud to share that in
coordination with KIHA, OLLI, and Clermont Park
Lifeplan Community, 39 older individuals from
metro Denver have enrolled in a pilot
study—the first of its
kind, to my know-ledge—to investigate the benefits of
increasing curious thought and behavior. I hope this study will contribute to the
development of new tools for decreasing risk or delaying onset of AD. It may help older individuals who are economically
disadvantaged, isolated, or have not been exposed to education to
experience the same benefits from cognitive activity as those who have
access to the resources they need.
I presented a poster on this research at the 2017 Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium at DU. Pre-
liminary data analyses are underway in the Granholm and Ledreux labs. KIHA
kindly hosted a formal, English-style “Curiosity Tea” in late October where I
shared the preliminary data with a lively and engaged group of participants. Thank you to KIHA for this opportunity!
Recent Publications 1. Ignowski E, Winter AN, Duval N, Fleming
H, Wallace T, Manning E, Koza L, Huber
K, Serkova NJ, Linseman DA. The cysteine-
rich whey protein supplement, Immunocal®,
preserves brain glutathione and improves cognitive, motor, and histopathological
indices of traumatic brain injury in a mouse
model of controlled cortical impact. Free
Radical Biology Medicine. 2018 Aug
20;124:328-341. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2018.06.026.
2. Ahmed, A. A., Smoczer, C., Pace, B.,
Patterson, D. and Cress Cabelof, D.
(2018), Loss of DNA polymerase β induces
cellular senescence. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 59: 603-612. doi:10.1002/
em.22206
3. Goetzl EJ, Elahi FM, Mustapic M,
Kapogiannis D, Pryhoda M, Gilmore A,
Gorgens KA, Davidson B, Granholm A-C, and Ledreux A. (2018) Altered levels of plasma
neuron-derived exosomes and their cargo
proteins characterize acute and chronic
mild traumatic brain injury. FASEB J. (in
press).
Recently Awarded Grants 1. Dr. Eric Chess was awarded a two-year
grant from the Next Fifty Initiative to
increase awareness and early identification
of impaired financial decision making by
creating a publically available, practical and accessible testing method and providing
education and outreach to vulnerable aging
populations in Colorado.
2. Dr. Lotta Granholm, along with Dr. Liz
Head of University of Kentucky, was awarded a grant from the National Institute
on Aging. They will study mTOR activation
and the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease
in Down syndrome.
3. Dr. Daniel Linseman received a two-year grant from the Ralph L. Smith Foundation,
“Biomarker analysis of pathogenic SOD1 and
TDP-43 in neuron- and glial-derived
exosomes from blood of sporadic ALS
patients.” The goal of this project is to evaluate the potential of exosome cargo to
act as blood-based biomarkers for ALS.
Suzanne Birkans initially gave us $50,000 in
2017 and then gave an additional $60,000+
in 2018 towards this project.
New Publications and Awarded Grants
Can Curiosity Affect Blood Biomarkers? (continued from p. 7)
Allison Grossberg
Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging | December 2018 Newsletter | page 9
Players in the intergenerational croquet
match.
James Creasey is the founder of Jiminy Wicket. Through this organization, he
arranges intergenerational croquet games for seniors and students in several
countries. Jiminy Wicket trains and equips high-school and college students
to host croquet programs as an outing every two weeks for the residents of local senior communities.
On June 6, 2018 , Jiminy Wicket
organized the first-ever croquet match that spanned a 100-year age gap! The
intergenerational croquet game took place at Vi in Highlands Ranch and featured players from 3 to 103 years old.
It was a lovely evening full of smiles and friendly competition.
KIHA in the Community
2019 marks the third year that KIHA offers Tai Chi!
In 2019, Tai Chi will be
held on Fridays from noon until 1 pm in the
ECS fifth floor event space.
Join KIHA’s instructor Jean Gan, who is a
physical therapist and has taught Tai Chi for
more than seven years. She is certified to teach by the Tai Chi for Health Institute. Jean
teaches Yang and Sun styles. She is
convinced that Tai Chi is a huge benefit to healthy
aging!
This is an intergener-ational event open to DU
students, faculty, staff, and community members. Everyone is welcome,
regardless of age or previous knowledge in Tai
Chi. Drop by to learn or deepen your practice
with others.
If you have questions, email
KIHA Plays Intergenerational Croquet
KIHA Offers Tai Chi to All
Tai Chi instructor Jean Gan.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s:
Team KIHA Pioneers
KIHA faculty are dedicated to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease through our
groundbreaking research. Staff and students support this dedication in a myriad of ways. All were happy to
participate in the annual walk for the Alzheimer’s Association to raise
awareness and funds for Alzheimer's disease. On Saturday, September 15, the
KIHA Pioneers Team gathered at 9 am in Denver’s City Park to participate.
KIHA extends a hearty THANK YOU to all who supported us by joining our team,
walking with us, or donating. Thanks to you we raised more than $3,730,
exceeding our team goal. Join us for next year’s walk!
Memories in the Making Art Auction Dr. Granholm, along with KIHA faculty,
staff, and friends, attended the Alzheimer’s Association art auction held at the Denver Broncos Field House in
Englewood on June 9.
KIHA acquired some beautiful pieces of art and extend our sincere gratitude to Linda Elliott & Phillip Seawalt and Peter
& Jenna Merlin for their donations. The art is proudly displayed at KIHA and we
invite you to come over and learn the stories behind the unique paintings.
KIHA in the Community
Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging | December 2018 Newsletter | page 10