Mary Beth Humphrey
Mary Beth Humphrey knows Alzheimer’s disease personally and painfully. The 68‑year‑old Episcopal priest lost her mother and three aunts to the disease, and as she’s aged, she’s become increasingly aware of her own risk.
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve paid attention to lapses,” Humphrey says. After seeing a neurologist, tests revealed she carries two genes that significantly increase her chances of developing Alzheimer’s.
Humphrey now receives monthly care at the Duke & UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, where clinicians and scientists closely monitor people at risk for the disease—often years before symptoms appear. The center, co‑directed by Duke neurologist and neuroscientist Dr. Heather Whitson, focuses on identifying early brain changes that could lead to prevention or more effective treatments.
That care is inseparable from research. By tracking cognitive changes, genetics, and biomarkers over time, Duke researchers aim to intervene earlier, when treatments may have the greatest impact. A major portion of the center’s work is supported by federal funding from the National Institutes of Health, part of a nationwide network of Alzheimer’s research centers.
For Humphrey, participating is deeply personal. “I want to be the bridge between a generation that had no help… and another generation in which there may be at least some kind of treatment,” she says.
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