Stephanie Monroe

Vice President and Senior Advisor, Health Equity, UsAgainstAlzheimer's

Stephanie J. Monroe is Vice President and Senior Advisor of Health Equity and Access at UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, a national advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. She leads the Center for Brain Health Equity, which is supported in part by CDC BOLD funding. She also directs African Americans Against Alzheimer’s, founded in 2013 and the first national network created specifically to respond to Alzheimer’s disease’s disparate impact on African Americans. By working nationally, locally, and through strategic partnerships, African Americans Against Alzheimer’s is raising awareness of the impact of Alzheimer’s health disparities on communities of color and women, the need for greater minority participation in clinical trials to find better treatments and hopefully a cure, and the importance of all communities, especially those most at risk, to begin to focus on brain health and adopt risk reduction strategies that promote brain health and healthy aging.

An attorney with three decades of federal public policy experience. Ms. Monroe is former Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights. Prior to serving in that position, she ended a 25-year career on Capitol Hill after holding a number of key staff positions in the United States Congress, including Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and Staff Director of the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families.

In addition to her work in Alzheimer’s, Ms. Monroe serves on the National Academy of Sciences Board for Children, Youth, and Families, addressing issues that impact vulnerable families, including health and education. She also advises academic centers, industry partners, federal agencies, and others on strategies to achieve inclusive participation clinical trials.

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This Speaker's Sessions

Panel
Tuesday Oct. 17
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1:30–2:15 PM ET
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Achieving Equity in Alzheimer's Disease

As Alzheimer’s therapies continue to make great progress, questions remain about how we can ensure equitable access to the right treatments, for the right patients, at the right time. What do we know--and not know--about the etiology of the disease in and the impact of new treatments on minoritized, and especially Black, populations?  Key Question: How do we achieve success with such low rates of racial and ancestral diversity in clinical trials?

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Town Hall
Wednesday Oct. 12
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3:30–4:15 PM
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Beyond Contemplating the Challenge of Inclusion in Clinical Trials

Clinical trials have traditionally fallen short when it comes to including people who are truly representative of the Alzheimer’s population. Recently successful efforts, however, are dispelling myths about the inclusion challenge. For example, among the 389 participants in the Evaluating Minority Patients with Actemra (EMPACTA) study approximately 84% were from Black, Hispanic, Native American, and other historically underrepresented groups. Key Question: What strategies successfully recruit, enroll, and retain participants who represent all of Us, especially those disproportionately affected?

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Brain Health Conversation
Wednesday Oct. 21
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12:45 PM
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Brain Health Advocacy During the Pandemic

Join policy and advocacy experts for a crash course in advocating for brain health during the COVID-19 pandemic. From an overview of key issues such as paid family leave and early detection to tips on educating policymakers in a virtual world, this session will equip you to advance your brain health agenda during this challenging time.

With a special message from Civil Rights Leader Dolores Huerta.

>> Download the Advocacy Toolkit PDF

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