Garrett Davidson

Abstract While Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been extensively studied with a focus on cognitive networks, sensory network dysfunction has received comparatively less attention despite compelling evidence of its significance in both Alzheimer's disease patients and mouse models.

I work at a Christian organization. When I first took the job, I had just come back from a short-term mission trip and was especially zealous for evangelism opportunities, but I quickly realized that building a network of friends from various religious backgrounds was going to be difficult now that my primary sources of community—work and church—were made up entirely of Christians.

I have a distinct childhood memory of attending a church service where the pastor prompted everyone in attendance to write down what he or she most desired. The answer came to me instantly: “I want to walk into church and feel joy instead of shame.” On this particular morning, like many others, I felt out of place, misunderstood, and ashamed of who I was.