From Caregiver to Creator: How a Childhood Moment Became a Global Alzheimer’s Initiative

When I was four years old, I sat beside my grandmother solving puzzles, one of the few activities that still brought her joy as Alzheimer’s changed her world. In those moments, I saw something I would only later understand. Even as memory faded, connection remained. I became involved in Puzzles to Remember and grew into the role of CEO, expanding its reach to thousands of memory care communities, globally. Through this work, I focused on how simple tools like puzzles can support emotional engagement and dignity in Alzheimer’s care. Now, that journey has come full circle.

Springbok Puzzles,collaborated with us to further develop and share our vision. The photo on the packaging is of me at age four with my grandmother, doing exactly what started it all. This experience reminded me that innovation is not always about starting something new. It is about recognizing what works, building on it, and bringing it to more people. And for me, it all started with a puzzle, and the love I had for my grandma.

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🧠 What Your Sense of Smell Can Tell Us About Alzheimer’s (And Why That’s Kind of Amazing)

The olfactory system connects directly to memory and emotion centers in the brain, making it a potential early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. A new Nature Communications study found that cells in the nose show early signs of Alzheimer’s, even in people without symptoms. Researchers observed inflammation and immune activity, suggesting changes begin long before memory loss appears. This means the sense of smell may offer a simple way to study early brain changes. Why this matters to me This connects to my research presented at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, where my project received a 3rd Place Grand Award. In my study, I found that smell based sensory stimulation improved emotional engagement in Alzheimer’s patients. This research helps explain why. Final thought If Alzheimer’s begins in ways we cannot see, but might be able to smell, it changes how we think about detection and care. Sometimes the most overlooked senses hold the most important answers. Source D’Anniballe VM, Kim S, Finlay JB, Wang M, Ko T, Luo S, Whitson HE, Johnson KG, Goldstein BJ (2026). Olfactory cleft biopsy analysis of Alzheimer’s disease pathobiology across disease stages. Nature Communications, 17:2245.

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