Meet the dedicated individuals who guide our initiatives and advocacy efforts
Our Patient Advisory Committee consists of individuals with personal connections to ApoE4-related Alzheimer's disease. They provide invaluable insights and guidance to ensure our advocacy efforts truly represent the needs of patients and caregivers.
I became interested in learning more about Alzheimer’s Disease when my older sister was diagnosed with early onset AD in her 50’s. Over the past decade I have seen how this horrible disease has impacted my brilliant, talented sister and those that love her. After I learned she was APOE4 homozygous, I wanted to better understand what my risk profile was. I decided to do some testing and confirmed two years ago that I am also APOE4 homozygous. Since then, I have made many lifestyle changes to stay healthy. I am very supportive of efforts to find ways to prevent and treat AD. I also feel it is important to take away the stigma surrounding the disease in order to move forward on eradicating AD. I’ve spent most of my personal and professional life in the Northeast. I grew up in Rhode Island and graduated from Brown University with an AB in Psychology. After college, I spent the next decade in New York City working at Saks Fifth Avenue, Scully & Scully and at Tiffany & Company, where I ended up as the Director of all buying associated with tabletop, accessories and related goods. After our first child was born, my husband and I relocated to the Boston area. We have lived outside Boston since 1995 and raised our children there. While the kids were growing up I became engaged with numerous non-profit organizations, including several education and literacy related entities, Mass Audubon and Rosie’s Place. I also continued to stay involved with the retail world, especially Sara Campbell, where I would often arrange fundraisers to support local charities. Since my sister was diagnosed with AD, I have encouraged family and friends to join me in participating and/or supporting a variety of Alzheimers fundraisers. I’ve recently taken up golf and look forward to playing in my second ALZ tournament in Rhode Island with several family members and friends this summer. I continue to learn as much as I can about AD and raise awareness of all the work and support need to help those that will be impacted.
I have a long family history with Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to my ApoE4 homozygote status I have two siblings who are also ApoE4 carriers. I’m excited to be engaged with the community and advocating for better treatment options and outcomes is extremely personal. In business I have been a a successful restauranteur who recently sold my business at the end of 2024. I now manage with my family commercial and residential real estate for our portfolio for my extended family. In addition to serving as consultants for a few years for the new owners of our restaurants. I get called upon frequently to present book talks or to speak on behalf of groups I volunteer with and I'm considered to be an effective communicator which I hope will be of help with the Alliances efforts.
I'm a rare APOE-2/4 heterozygote who participated in the TrailRunner ALZ-2 trial in 2023. I experienced ARIA and other adverse side-effects. Background: BSN from Penn, MSN/MPH from Drexel, DrPH from UNC Chapel Hill. After years of clinical work as an NP in women's health, I established the Pregnancy Registry Program at Merck, became a Director of Drug Safety and retired from their Department of Ethics in 2014. I authored the book Pregnancy and the Pharmaceutical Industry. I am currently a Consumer Representative on the FDA Obstetric, Reproductive, and Urinary Drug Approval Committee and a pregnancy registry consultant to industry.
Dr. Wendy Nelson joined Dreavent Capital as Managing Partner in 2024. Wendy has over 25 years of industry experience in roles spanning corporate development, project management, operations, business development, R&D and most recently, as Chief Business Officer for Danforth Advisors, a strategic consultancy firm that has served over 1000 biopharma clients since inception. Her experience includes tenures at Alkermes, Alantos Pharmaceuticals, several preclinical and early stage clinical CROs, and as CEO at LeadingBiotech. Wendy Nelson, PhD, is also President & Founder of the Boston Biotech Forum, a series of highly curated events that consist of networking as well as discussion on relevant industry topics for life science executive and investors. Wendy founded the Forum in Boston in 2011 and has since expanded her presence to San Francisco, San Diego, Philadelphia and New Haven. The network consists of over 1800 investors and biopharma executives from more than 600 biopharma companies and VC firms. Wendy serves on the Board of Directors for SciSure, as a Business Advisor to ModernVivo, is a Venture Partner for Waterman Ventures, and is on the Patient Lived Experiences congressional advisory board for UsAgainstAlzheimers. Dr. Nelson earned her MS in Engineering and PhD in Medical Sciences (Artificial Organs, Biomaterials & Cellular Technology), both from Brown University. In her free time, Wendy competes in triathlons and enjoys climbing mountains.
Jamie Tyrone is a dedicated advocate for Alzheimer's research, motivated by her genetic status as a homozygous carrier of the ApoE 4 allele and a multi-generational family history of AD. A former Registered Nurse turned marketing executive, she became a full-time advocate, founding B.A.B.E.S. (Beating Alzheimer’s by Embracing Science) and contributing to WomenAgainstAlzheimer's, working to amplify women's voices in the fight against Alzheimer's. She has played key roles in various research initiatives, including the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center and the development of the “Individual Return of Results” (IRR) guidance and tools. Jamie is also an advisor to the international CEO initiative (CEOi), a leading global effort to prepare for the widespread adoption of Alzheimer’s blood-based biomarker (BBM) tests into clinical practice. Additionally, Jamie serves as co-chair of the Stakeholder Committee of AGREEDementia (Advisory Group on Risk Education for Dementia), leading to co-authorship of “Disclosing Individual Results in Dementia Research: A Proposed Study Participant’s Bill of Rights”, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. She authored the award-winning book, Fighting for My Life: How to Thrive in the Shadow of Alzheimer’s, and has received the National George Washington Honor Medal for her contributions. Additionally, she has been a research participant for 15 years, hoping her contribution will aid in finding a prevention or cure for Alzheimer's.
Julie McEntire has over 15 years of experience working in the environmental field. Julie is currently the Director of Grant Programs at the Texas General Land Office. In this role, Julie oversees the Texas Coastal Management Program and the Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act program. Julie has a Masters from University of Georgia in aquatic ecology and a Bachelors in environmental science from Southwestern University. In her free time, Julie enjoys running, reading and being with her family.
A Cree healthcare worker (University of Alberta nursing program), I advocate for culturally safe dementia care after my grandmother's misdiagnosis. Partnering with First Nations elders, we blend traditional medicines with Western research. My Ottawa-based podcast, "Memory Keepers," amplifies Indigenous voices in the fight against Alzheimer's.