In this episode of Talking Dementia, Dr. Emily Silverman speaks with Dr. Jennifer Corcoran, a neurologist specializing in movement disorders and neuropalliative care at the University of Rochester Medical Center. With a focus on Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Corcoran brings deep expertise in prognostication, symptom management, and supporting patients and families throughout the course of neurodegenerative illness.

Dr. Corcoran shares her path into neurology and palliative care, and why Parkinson’s is often misunderstood as purely a movement disorder. They explore how the disease progresses, differences between Parkinson’s disease and other forms of Parkinsonism, and the evolving role of treatments like carbidopa/levodopa. The conversation also highlights the emotional and cognitive dimensions of the disease, the importance of exercise and community, and how care needs shift over time.

A central focus of the episode is how palliative care can support people living with Parkinson’s from diagnosis through end of life. Dr. Corcoran discusses navigating uncertainty, planning for the future, and aligning care with patient values. She offers a candid perspective on prognosis, late-stage challenges, and why earlier, more open conversations about goals of care can lead to better outcomes for both patients and caregivers.

About this episode’s featured guest

Jennifer Corcoran is a neurologist, movement disorder specialist, and researcher at the University of Rochester Medical Center, with additional expertise in neuropalliative care. She completed her medical training and neurology residency at the University of Rochester, where she developed a focus on caring for patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Her work centers on improving prognostication and anticipatory guidance in Parkinson’s disease, with the goal of helping patients and families make informed, goal-concordant decisions throughout the course of illness.

About Remo’s host Dr. Emily Silverman

Dr. Emily Silverman is an internal-medicine physician, Assistant Volunteer Professor of Medicine at UCSF. She is the creator and host of The Nocturnists, an award-winning medical storytelling program that has uplifted the voices of more than 450 clinicians since 2016 through its podcast and live performances. Her work has been supported by a MacDowell fellowship and widely published in numerous publications including JAMA, The New York Times, and NPR. Learn more about Emily by visiting her website.

Connect with us

Learn more about Remo Health and how we’re delivering better dementia care to patients and those who care for them. Subscribe to the Remo Health newsletter.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook for the latest information, news, and guidance on all things #dementia and #brainhealth.

Have a question or a topic you’d like to hear more about? Email us at hello@remo.health.

The information in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not the practice of medicine or any profession. It is not intended to be medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

In this episode of Talking Dementia, Dr. Emily Silverman speaks with Sara Barsel, a retired research scientist, educator, and longtime dementia advocate who leads the Dementia-Friendly Airports Working Group and the Roseville Alzheimer’s and Dementia Community Action Team in Minnesota.

Sara shares how a single email about dementia-friendly airports in Australia sparked a grassroots effort to improve travel experiences for people living with dementia and their care partners. What began as a local initiative at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport has grown into broader work helping airports better understand and accommodate travelers with cognitive impairment and other hidden disabilities.

Together, Emily and Sara explore the challenges airports present for people with dementia, from navigating crowded terminals and security screenings to managing anxiety and the risk of getting lost, while highlighting practical planning strategies and resources such as TSA Cares, airport accessibility services, and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program.

About this episode’s featured guest

Sara Barsel is a retired research scientist, educator, and volunteer dementia advocate with more than a decade of experience working to improve resources for people living with dementia and their care partners. She is the founder and lead of the Dementia-Friendly Airports Working Group and a leader of the Roseville Alzheimer’s and Dementia Community Action Team in Minnesota. Through her advocacy, Sara has helped bring together community organizations, researchers, and airport leaders to better understand the challenges travelers with dementia face and develop practical tools, resources, and training programs to improve accessibility in airports.

About Remo’s host Dr. Emily Silverman

Dr. Emily Silverman is an internal-medicine physician, Assistant Volunteer Professor of Medicine at UCSF. She is the creator and host of The Nocturnists, an award-winning medical storytelling program that has uplifted the voices of more than 450 clinicians since 2016 through its podcast and live performances. Her work has been supported by a MacDowell fellowship and widely published in numerous publications including JAMA, The New York Times, and NPR. Learn more about Emily by visiting her website.

Connect with us

Learn more about Remo Health and how we’re delivering better dementia care to patients and those who care for them. Subscribe to the Remo Health newsletter.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook for the latest information, news, and guidance on all things #dementia and #brainhealth.

Have a question or a topic you’d like to hear more about? Email us at hello@remo.health.

In this episode of Talking Dementia, Dr. Emily Silverman speaks with Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist and acclaimed writer, about how his family’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease reshaped his understanding of the healthcare system, caregiving, and identity. Though trained in science and neuroscience, Dr. Jauhar shares how unprepared he was for the realities of dementia, a disease that affects not only memory, but emotion, self-awareness, and family dynamics.

Drawing from his novel, My Father’s Brain: Life in the Shadow of Alzheimer’s, Dr. Jauhar reflects on the ethical and emotional complexities of caregiving, including denial, guilt, therapeutic deception, and conflict among loved ones. A central focus of the conversation is end-of-life decision making, and how families grapple with advance directives, shifting autonomy, and the difficult question of which version of a person, past or present, should guide care.

About this episode’s featured guest

Dr. Sandeep Jauhar is a cardiologist who specializes in heart failure and a nationally recognized writer on medicine, ethics, and the human side of healthcare. He is the author of My Father’s Brain: Life in the Shadow of Alzheimer’s, a memoir that blends neuroscience, philosophy, and personal narrative to chronicle his family’s experience caring for his father through Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Jauhar’s work explores how illness reshapes identity, family dynamics, and our understanding of dignity at the end of life. Through both his clinical practice and writing, he advocates for more humane, comprehensive approaches to caring for people living with serious illness and those who care for them.

About Remo’s host Dr. Emily Silverman

Dr. Emily Silverman is an internal-medicine physician, Assistant Volunteer Professor of Medicine at UCSF. She is the creator and host of The Nocturnists, an award-winning medical storytelling program that has uplifted the voices of more than 450 clinicians since 2016 through its podcast and live performances. Her work has been supported by a MacDowell fellowship and widely published in numerous publications including JAMA, The New York Times, and NPR. Learn more about Emily by visiting her website.

Connect with us

Learn more about Remo Health and how we’re delivering better dementia care to patients and those who care for them. Subscribe to the Remo Health newsletter.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram for the latest information, news, and guidance on all things #dementia and #brainhealth.

Have a question or a topic you’d like to hear more about? Email us at hello@remo.health.

The information in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not the practice of medicine or any profession. It is not intended to be medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.