Alzheimer’s Disease is a rising health issue for Latinos and many others.
To ensure support for those affected and their caregivers, UT Health San Antonio hosted a webinar, “Zeroing in on Alzheimer’s, Brain Health, and Caregiving in At-Risk Populations,” at 11 a.m. Central on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
Webinar host Dr. Amelie Ramirez, leader of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, joined experts from the San Antonio CAPAS research program, a representative from Genentech, a community health worker, and a Latino caregiver to focus on the impact of Alzheimer’s in South Texas and beyond.
Panelists discussed the state of Alzheimer’s among Latinos and all people, early signs, early diagnosis, and what the condition means for the entire family and caregiving.
In understanding the reasons for the Latino population’s heavy burden of Alzheimer’s disease, we can begin to address the issue to prevent Alzheimer’s in Latinos and all people at all levels, from research to clinical settings to community outreach and education.
Learn about the Speakers for this Webinar on Alzheimer’s, Brain Health, and Caregiving
Here are the panelists for the webinar.
Panelist presentations and a discussion were moderated by Dr. Amelie Ramirez.
Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH (moderator), an internationally recognized researcher in health promotion and behavioral change, is director of Salud America! and leader of the Institute for Health Promotion Research in the Department of Population Health Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. She has spent over 30 years directing research on human and organizational communication to reduce chronic disease and cancer among all people, including cancer risk factors, clinical trial recruitment, tobacco prevention, and obesity prevention. She also is associate director of cancer outreach and engagement at the NCI-designated Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio.
Rebeca Wong, PhD, is director of the Center for Healthy Population Aging and leader of the San Antonio Center for AD/ADRD Population Aging and Social Studies (CAPAS) at UT San Antonio and UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Wong is a population economist with 35 years of experience with multi-disciplinary research that has been funded continuously by the NIA/NIH. Her research includes a variety of topics related to the wellbeing of older adults, using a life course and multi-disciplinary perspective, with keen interest in health disparities in the populations of Mexico and US Hispanics.
Guadalupe Cornejo, LMSW, CHWI, Founder, San Antonio Community Health Workers Association, Assistant Professor of Community Health, Northwest Vista College. She has experience working as a Texas’ Department of State Health Services Certified Community Health Worker, implementing community outreach programs/interventions, and promoting wellness and health in the community. She has served as Health Educator Associate at UT Health San Antonio in the departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Population Health Sciences (in the Institute for Health Promotion Research). She has worked as a patient navigator in a clinical and community setting, implemented research interventions involving oncology patients, and conducted community education and outreach.
Carlos L. Olivas III left his career in Ventura, Calif., packed up his life, and returned 400 miles north to Sacramento, back to the home where he grew up, and where his father now needed him most. His dad, Carlos “Charlie” Olivas Jr., was courageously navigating life with Alzheimer’s dementia, and Carlos stepped fully into the role of primary family caregiver, determined to walk with him through every stage of the journey. Today, Carlos is widely recognized as an Alzheimer’s Family Caregiver & Advocate, Mental Health and Men’s Well-Being Advocate, Fellow with Caring Across Generations, and Media Guest & Storyteller whose work reaches caregivers, healthcare leaders, and policy influencers across the country. His message is clear: caregivers deserve support, understanding, and acknowledgment. Because behind every act of care lies strength, courage, and a profound depth of love. Read his full story.
Meghan McKenzie leads teams who develop strategies to drive greater inclusion of underrepresented patient populations in clinical research. Representative research drives science and innovation and helps ensure all patients benefit from novel treatments and diagnostics. Key to her team’s success is gaining insights from sites in our Global Advancing Inclusive Research (AIR) Site Alliance to build and amplify best practices. Her teams have won Telly Awards for groundbreaking educational videos in Clinical Research Representation. She has over 30 years of clinical research experience spanning multiple diseases, including oncology, ophthalmology, immunology, neurology, and infectious and rare diseases across early and late phase programs. At Genentech, Meghan is the Advancing Inclusive Research Portfolio Alliance Lead in Population Sciences and works closely with Population Health. Her credentials include a Master’s in Human Biology at SFSU, a Bachelor’s in Economics at UNC- Chapel Hill, the Cornell University ‘Advanced D&I Certificate’ and Columbia’s ‘Certificate in Business Excellence.’ She is a Board Member with the Northern California Chapter of Association for Clinical Research Professionals and contributes to KQED, ACLU, Planned Parenthood, SF AIDs Foundation, Silicon Valley Food Harvest and public radio. She loves art and learning about different cultures through travel and work.
Behind the Webinar Series on Health
The “Let’s Improve Health in South Texas and Beyond” webinar series is a collaboration of the Salud America! program at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, and Genentech.
Salud America! is a national health communication organization that creates relevant and research-based stories, videos, and tools to inspire people to start and support healthy changes where all families can live, learn, work, and play. The program is led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez. Dr. Ramirez is chair and professor of Population Health Sciences and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She also leads community outreach and engagement at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio.
The Mays Cancer Center, also called the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, has a mission to decrease the burden of cancer in San Antonio, South Texas and beyond. We bring South Texas a level of exceptional research and care that is comparable with the nation’s most respected programs. More patients put their trust in our program because we have a unique understanding of our community’s cancer care needs. We excel in delivering advanced therapies.
Founded more than 40 years ago as the first biotechnology company, Genentech is dedicated to the rigorous pursuit of science and the development and delivery of life-changing medicines for people facing serious diseases. Headquartered in South San Francisco, California and a proud member of the Roche Group, our community is united by a common purpose and sense of urgency to transform the future of healthcare. Learn more at gene.com.