DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES
SAVE THE DATES! OUR SERIES RETURNS...ONLINE!
It’s a new world of online learning for us!
Our Distinguished Speakers will present from 10-11:00am, followed by a short Q&A session.
Registration below. For questions, please email
Our 2020 Distinguished Speaker Series was generously underwritten by Judy White.
Dr. Anna Kulidjian, MD, Scripps Green Hospital
Advances in Hip Replacement & The New ESY Approach
Thursday, November 12, 10-11 AM
Dr. Anna Kulidjian is an orthopedic surgeon with Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla and is Associate Clinical Professor and the Director of the Musculoskeletal Program at the Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center.
She received her MD from University of Toronto and completed fellowships in Joint Reconstruction and Limb Preservation in Mount Sinai Hospital and Princess Margaret hospitals in Toronto. Dr. Kulidjian has been an orthopedic surgeon for the last 15 years and performs primary and revision knee and hip replacements using advanced technologies and minimally invasive techniques. She has extensive experience restoring limb function through complex reconstructions.
Dr. Kulidjian will discuss advances in reconstructive procedures specifically focusing on restoration of hip function through modern techniques in arthroplasty. She recently introduced a new technique called ESY direct anterior approach to San Diego. Her research focuses on improvements in joint replacements techniques including efficient knee and hip arthroplasty and robotics.
She was involved in 1988 Armenian earthquake recovery effort and decided to become an orthopedic surgeon after seeing her father, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, bring amputee children from Armenia to Toronto to receive life-changing orthopedic procedures.
Dr. William Mobley, Neurologist and Associate Dean of Neuroscience Initiatives at UCSD
Where Do We Stand in the Fight Against Dementia
Tuesday, October 13, 10am
Covid-19 is not the only epidemic we face. There is also an epidemic of Alzheimer disease (AD). Although we understand the causes AD, we have yet to discover treatments that prevent the onset or effectively treat its progression. Learn about treatment options, lifestyle issues, and how current technology could be used to decrease social isolation and loneliness of those impacted by AD and their caregivers.
Dr. Mobley’s research focuses on the neurobiology of neurotrophic factor actions and signaling and on the hypothesis that dysfunction of such signaling mechanisms contributes to neuronal dysfunction in developmental and age-related disorders of the nervous system. His emphasis on the neurobiology of Down syndrome has brought new insights into the disease, including possible treatments. He has also done pioneering work on the neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) using a mouse model of Down syndrome (DS). These studies were based on the observation that virtually all adults with Down syndrome develop the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease by the age of 50. This knowledge paved the way for Dr. Mobley’s ongoing studies of AD in experimental models.
Dr. Mobley’s laboratory has pursued two major themes. The first is the biology and signaling of neurotrophic factors. The second, propelled by the first, is the pathogenesis of developmental and age-related neurodegeneration in DS and AD. The Mobley Laboratory has made many important contributions to neuroscience investigation, all of which relate to the biology of neurotrophic factors or to the pathogenesis of DS.
To date, Dr. Mobley has published almost 150 research articles and reviews in peer reviewed journals. Publications appear in high quality journals, such J. Neuroscience, Neurobiol Dis., and J. Comp Neurol. In addition, Dr. Mobley is co-editor of one book and has contributed to 13 books or book chapters.
David Swanson
Author/Travel Writer
Tuesday, September 8, 10am
Travel writer-photographer David Swanson is a third-generation San Diegan. Following a 17-year stint with Landmark Theatres, since 1995 he has traveled through more than 100 countries around the globe. En route, David's stories and photos have been published in more than 50 North American newspapers and dozens of magazines and websites. Among his current outlets are National Geographic Traveler, Los Angeles Times, American Way, Westways, Cruise Critic, TravelAge West, and Corporate & Incentive Travel. David wrote an award-winning column for Caribbean Travel & Life magazine for 14 years, and he is author and co-author of 16 different travel guidebooks.
The Caribbean has been the focus for many stories, and his research has brought him to all of the islands for multiple visits -- in 2007 he was chosen by the Caribbean Tourism Organization as Travel Writer of the Year. David has a volcano fetish, which has taken him to the smoldering summits of Mount St. Helens, Soufrière Hills, Piton de la Fournaise and Mount Etna. He is a frequent traveler to Africa (7 trips to 10 different countries), China (8 trips since 2001), Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, the British Isles, and Italy, with multiple cover stories in major outlets about each. David is also an expert on cruises, and in 2012-2014 he traveled on more than 40 cruises as an anonymous cruise reviewer for USA Today.
Swanson will present the Hidden Spots of Interest in San Diego (& Many in La Jolla). He’ll share these finds—all compiled in his newly published Second Edition Guidebook titled 100 Things to Do in San Diego Before You Die.
Dr. Eric David Adler, Cardiologist and Medical Director of Heart Transplantation, UCSD
Tuesday, August 11, 10am
Dr. Eric David Adler is Head Attending Physician, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Program Director of Heart Failure Fellowship and of the Heart and Lung Transplantation Program at the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Institute, University of California at San Diego. Dr. Adler treats patients in all stages of heart disease and specializes in advanced transplantation and heart failure. He will discuss the journey from diagnosis to transplantation, including drug treatments and pacemakers, ventricular assist devices, mechanical hearts, transplant procedures, post-operative recovery and life after transplantation.
This presentation will include a case study of LJCC board member, Glen Rasmussen, who received a heart transplant in 2019 after being diagnosed with a rare heart condition, cardiac amyloidosis. Glen was one of a group of 69 heart transplant patients who received a transplant at UCSD last year. More than 50 transplants have occurred so far in 2020, as transplantation is an essential medical procedure. UCSD is ranked as one of the top heart transplant centers in the country today and has the best one-year post transplant survival rate in the country.
Dr. Jacopo Annese, President & CEO
The Brain Observatory
Tuesday, July 14, 10am
Dr. Jacopo Annese, Ph.D. is the Director of The Brain Observatory and lead scientist for the Human Brain Library (HBL) project, a database of brain images that supports education and worldwide collaboration. The HBL collects valuable information from live scans and donated brains that assist both the public and the scientific community in gaining a greater understanding of the brain and provides valuable insights in the treatment of numerous brain diseases. During his presentation, he will address individual brain variability and the personal factors that can affect brain health and aging.
Missed the date? No problem! Watch the lecture here
Dr. Dilip Jeste, UCSD Neuropsychiatrist
Loneliness & the Role of Wisdom
Tuesday, May 12, 10am
Dr. Dilip Jeste, a geriatric neuropsychiatrist and director of UC San Diego’s Center for Healthy Aging will speak virtually on the topic of loneliness and how we can address this issue during the current situation of social isolation. He will also discuss his San Diego-based research on loneliness in seniors, the role of wisdom and his suggestions on intervention for loneliness.
Missed the date? No problem! Watch the lecture here
Elaine LaLanne, Fitness Expert, Author
The Secret to Longevity
Tuesday, June 9, 10am
Fitness expert, motivational speaker, author (and wife of the fitness icon Jack LaLanne) Elaine LaLanne will help us stay in shape while we’re staying at home with tips on health and fitness. Elaine started in television in San Francisco in 1948, one of the first TV hosts. There, she met her guest, fitness proponent and later her husband, Jack LaLanne. The successful TV series ran for 34 years with Elaine showcasing many of the fitness regimens. Elaine is author of numerous books including her latest, If You Want to Live, Move; Putting the Boom Back into Boomers. Now 94 years-old, Elaine (“LaLa”) will entertain the online audience with her wit, fitness suggestions and tips for longevity.
Missed the date? No problem! Watch the lecture here
In the News!
Enjoy Elaine Lalanne as a guest on KUSI's
Good Morning San Diego!
Member Exclusive!
Enjoy Jack Lalanne's Back to Basics!
Back to Basics: Day 1
Back to Basics: Day 2
For questions, please email
Our 2020 Distinguished Speaker Series was generously underwritten by Judy White.