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Community Corner

Staying Sharp: Ask the Experts about Keeping Your Brain Young

Rajiv R. Ratan, M.D., Ph.D., executive director of the Burke Medical Research Institute, will be sharing his expertise on the aging brain and how to keep it healthy during a free panel discussion on Dec. 1 at the Little Theatre at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.


Dr. Ratan, who is also associate dean and professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College, will partner with John H. Morrison, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Biological Sciences atMount Sinai School of Medicine, for “Staying Sharp: Ask the Experts about Keeping Your Brain Young.” Dr. Ratan and Dr. Morrison will discuss memory changes as the brain ages, Alzheimer’s disease, successful aging and keeping the brain healthy.


“As an institution dedicated to solving the problems brought on by neurological disability, Burke recognizes the need to not only treat those who have had a disabling injury or illness but to also help reduce the risks for neurological impairments for those who are healthy,” Dr. Ratan noted. “This event allows us to do just that by conversing with the community, addressing their concerns and educating them on brain health issues.”

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Moderated by News 12 journalist Shannon A. White, this event sponsored by AARPThe Dana Alliance for Brain InitiativesMetLife Foundation, Westchester County, Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services and the Westchester County Executive’s Office, will help demystify the brain’s aging process and impart guidance for leading a brain healthy life. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask neuroscience experts questions they have about the brain and memory loss, among others.


Staying Sharp will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Dec. 1 at the Little Theatre, Westchester County Center at 198 Central Ave. in White Plains. The event is free and open to the public, however, space is limited and pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, call (877) 926-8300 or go to http://bit.ly/Westchesterbrain.

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Funded by grants and private donations, Burke’s Medical Research Institute is involved in cutting-edge basic, translational and clinical research, providing new knowledge that can become the basis for future rehabilitation therapies in the areas of stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. The Institute has recently added new research laboratories in the areas of pain, vision restoration and motor recovery. The Institute strives to assist patients to recover more fully, not just to decrease disability, which has been the focus of mainstream rehabilitation research historically.


Burke Rehabilitation Hospital is a private, not-for-profit, acute rehabilitation hospital. Founded in 1915, it is the only hospital in Westchester County dedicated solely to rehabilitation medicine. Burke offers both inpatient and outpatient programs for those who have experienced a disabling illness, traumatic injury or joint replacement surgery. Burke is both an acute rehabilitation hospital and medical research center. Burke’s world-renowned doctors and therapists provide state-of-the-art-treatment, while its research scientists at the Burke Medical Research Institute explore the frontiers of neurological and rehabilitation medicine. All share the Burke mission to ensure that every patient makes the fullest possible recovery from illness or injury regardless of their ability to pay.

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