“Declining Cognition, Community Resources and the Caregiving Emergency”
Robert E. Simon MD, Neurologist,
Lisa Gibbs MD, Professor of Family Practice and Gerontology at UC Irvine, and
Steve O'Leary, Former CEO of O'Leary and Partners Advertising Agency, and Founder of Spotlight on Care: Alzheimer's Caregiving Podcast.

Biography of Dr. Lisa Gibbs
Dr. Gibbs is Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Geriatrics, the Chief of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology and the Ronald Reagan Endowed Chair of Geriatric Medicine at UC Irvine.  She has an extensive and successful history of developing multifaceted programs, bringing together collaborators from both university and community-based organizations.  Her grant leadership experience is best exemplified by several national grants to promote health workforce for older adults and related research, including elder abuse. 
She has served as a member of the Steering Committee for the Orange County Strategic Plan for Aging (OCSPA), a core group charged with the oversight of planning for aging services for Orange County. Dr. Gibbs was recently appointed as Chief Population Health Officer to develop new Population Health and Value Based Initiatives for UCI Health.
As a geriatrician and leader at UCI Health, her interest lies in developing clinical models that enhance value-based care, including a Falls clinic for older adults. Dr. Gibbs led the development of several innovative programs, including memory assessment and the GUIDE program to support caregivers of patients with dementia. As the Chief Population Health Officer, she leads programs for quality of care, including dementia, for the UCI Health system.

Biography for Robert E. Simon, M.D.
Robert E. Simon MD, is a retired Neurologist who recently completed 10 years assisting clinical research into Alzheimer's Disease and cognitive decline in persons with Down Syndrome attributed to Alzheimer's at UCI MIND.
Dr. Simon did his undergraduate work at UC Berkeley and UCLA.  He has an AB in Political Science.
Dr. Simon attended medical school at UC Irvine, completed an internship at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco, and returned to UC Irvine for Neurology Residency.
He practiced general Neurology in Mission Viejo for 36 years, retiring from clinical practice in 2013.  His main focus was in managing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
His longtime interest in the molecular biology of making memories led him back to UCI where he recently completed ten years as a volunteer clinical researcher assisting in investigations of Alzheimer's Disease in neurotypicals and persons with Down syndrome.
He is a longtime advocate for caregivers and continues to seek a Cognitive Resource Center based at UC Irvine that would provide Neurology opinions, Gerontology management and support for patients, Social worker assistance, Geriatric Psychiatry, Crisis support, and research into the extremely difficult experience of Caregiving.

Biography of Steve O’Leary
Steve’s connection with Alzheimer’s began in 2010 when his wife, Patty, was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), followed by an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis in 2012. Throughout this journey, Steve became increasingly involved in Alzheimer’s research and UCI MIND. After Patty’s passing in 2017, Steve channeled his experience into advocacy at UCI MIND, where he serves on the Leadership Council and helped develop MINDcast. In 2021, he co-created "Spotlight on Care," a successful podcast supporting dementia caregivers. Steve has contributed to California's Alzheimer's Task Force, facilitated support groups, and remains dedicated to helping Alzheimer's caregivers nationwide.