I went looking for answers, too.

When the research became personal

In December 2024, I learned I carry two copies of APOE4. I had studied the science and seen Alzheimer's during my hospital residency. Hearing my own result was different.

I wanted answers to the questions you may be asking now: What can I do? Which advice applies to someone with my genes? How will I know whether a change is helping?

Carrying APOE4 increases Alzheimer's risk. A genetic result alone is not a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Read the National Institute on Aging's explanation.

That result changed what I wanted to do with my time. I started reading for my own future, then sharing what I learned with other carriers.

The experience I bring

I'm a Doctor of Pharmacy. My background includes a clinical residency in geriatric care in France and healthcare strategy work on Alzheimer's at Boston Consulting Group.

That experience helps me work through the research. Living with APOE4 keeps the questions practical. An interesting finding only gets us so far; I want to understand what it means for the decisions we face.

What I want you to get from Field Notes

• A clearer answer. An explanation you can follow without a research background, with depth when you want it.
• The evidence behind it. Who was studied, what was measured, and whether the finding tells us something specific about APOE4 carriers.
• A useful next step. A guide to work through, a question for your doctor, or a way to think more carefully about what you're already doing.

I share published research, expert conversations and my own experience. Those are different kinds of evidence, and the difference matters. My experience is one person's experience. When the research leaves a question open, that belongs in the explanation too.

You might have just received a result, be years into your own research, or be reading for someone you love. You are welcome here.