Webinars

REGISTER NOW FOR OUR UPCOMING EVENT Tuesday, 13 January at 10:00 AM CST-US (See this event in your local time) The Power of Sleep to Protect Body and Mind The prior webinar underscored the significance of sleep disturbances in Parkinson’s disease. Participant preference has guided the selection of sleep as the topic for the forthcoming webinar. Sleep complaints are prevalent among older adults and adversely impact daytime alertness, physical, mood, and cognitive function. Emerging evidence links impaired sleep to neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. This webinar will explore central questions such as: What mechanistic relationships exist between sleep disturbances and neurodegenerative processes? And to what extent can targeted sleep interventions mitigate neurodegeneration? Our presentations will include the following:  Dr. Jurgen Claassen- Poor sleep and dementia: is it a cause or a consequence, and what are potential mechanisms? Dr. Clifford Singer- Sleep and Wake Disorders in Dementia Presenter: Dr. Jurgen Claassen (the Netherlands)  Dr. Jurgen Claassen is a geriatrician and associate professor and research group leader at Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. His research focus is cardiovascular and cerebrovascular physiology in aging and dementia, with a second and overlapping line of research into sleep and dementia. He is internationally recognised for his work on cerebral autoregulation, and published the first human study on sleep deprivation and Alzheimer biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid. He has published 225 peer reviewed papers and has supervised 20 PhD students. Presenter: Dr. Clifford Singer (United States)  Dr. Cliff Singer is a psychiatrist and geriatrician. He is medical director of the Memory and Aging program at Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine and Research Professor at the University of Maine Institute of Medicine. He has received numerous awards for teaching, research and clinical work with older adults and persons with dementia in both Oregon and Maine and has been selected by peers to “Best Doctors in America” every year since 2004. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW IPA Webinar Series, Program Organizers:   Prof Myrra Vernooij-Dassen, PhD Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Chair, IPA Webinar Task Force The Netherlands Robert Madan MD FRCPC Deputy Chief of Staff, Baycrest, Canada

The IPA webinar series was launched in response to the limitations on in-person meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its initial success highlighted the need for smaller-scale, focused conferences, leading to the establishment of an ongoing series. Since 2020, the IPA has hosted three to four webinars annually.

The webinars reflect the IPA's commitment to the mental health of older adults, emphasizing both its multidisciplinary approach and global reach. Topics have included findings from multifactorial studies on brain health, innovative treatment approaches—such as psychosocial interventions and emerging pharmacological therapies—and the influence of cultural and economic factors on mental health across diverse regions.

Webinar themes are shaped by participant suggestions, ensuring relevance and engagement. Each session features presentations by two internationally recognized experts on a shared theme, followed by generous time for discussion and interaction.

Stay tuned to our social media and newsletter to learn about upcoming webinars!

IPA Webinar Chair & Moderator:
Prof. Dr. Myrra Vernooij-Dassen is trained as a medical sociologist and affiliated to Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. She is the committee chair of the IPA Webinar Series. She is a member of the editorial board of International Psychogeriatrics. She received the IPA 2016 Distinguished Service to the Field of Psychogeriatrics Award.

Prof. Vernooij-Dassen is the former director of Radboud Alzheimer Centre and former chair of INTERDEM, a pan-European network of researchers on detection and timely INTERventions in DEMentia (INTERDEM). She is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the European Joint Programming for Neurodegenerative Diseases (JPND) and the SAB of BrainHealth.