This years’ keynote speaker, Dr. Thomas H. Mosley, Jr., is a nationally recognized expert in brain aging and neurodegenerative dementia. He is the founding director of the Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia (MIND) Center at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. His research portfolio spans more than two decades, with continuous funding from the highly competitive National Institutes of Health, and over 500 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Mosley leads some of the largest long-term studies conducted on brain aging and dementia risk. Using advanced brain imaging and powerful new genetic technologies, his work seeks to identify risk and protective factors for brain aging, cognitive decline and dementia, and to identify better tools for early diagnosis, treatment and prevention strategies for Alzheimer’s and related neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Mosley leads an international consortium of scientists seeking to identify the genetic underpinnings of dementia, and is principal investigator for a major new research collaboration between UMMC and Mayo Clinic called the MIND Center-Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. |
Dr. Turner is the Chief Executive Officer of Turner Care, LLC and currently serves on the COVID-19 Task Force for the Mississippi State Medical Association and the City of Jackson. On August 1st, 2022, Dr. Turner was appointed as Chief Medical Officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health. Dr. Turner has been recognized yearly through several awards and recognitions including most recently: 2022 Most Influential African Americans in Mississippi by Our Mississippi; 2022 Mississippi Children's Museum Community Champion Award; 2021 National Top 40 Under 40 by National Minority Quality Forum; and 2021 Best Doctor of Jackson by Jackson Free Press. Dr. Turner says that health can only be optimized if we understand that physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health are all interrelated and not separate entities. He believes in treating the whole person. He is married to his loving wife, Elisha Roberts Turner, and they have two precious children Layla and Leah. |