After years of setbacks in the realm of Alzheimer’s disease research, several pharmacologic treatments have now been approved by the FDA.

Yet, says neuroscientist Kenneth Kosik, M.D., a leading expert in the field, “While these treatments are a clear step forward and offer some degree of hope, we still have a long way to go.”

Kosik, the Harriman Professor of Neuroscience Research and co-director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at UC Santa Barbara, will elaborate on that point, and detail how researchers are charting a path toward understanding — and ultimately finding a cure for — Alzheimer’s disease in an upcoming public talk. The event, “Keeping Pace with the Rapid Advances in Alzheimer’s,” will take place from 5–7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28, in the Music Academy’s Hahn Hall. It is free and open to the public, with reservations

“We will discuss how we should consider whether these new treatments are appropriate for our loved ones,” added Kosik, who will share his expertise on our current understanding of cognitive degeneration and where the field is going from both research and clinical perspectives. “One issue we might raise,” he said, “is how do we approach the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s when a person is still asymptomatic?”