Mercè Boada y Rovira (born Barcelona, 14 October 1948) is a Catalan

neurologist Neurology (from , "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous system, which comprises the brain, the ...

. She has dedicated her professional career to

neurodegenerative A neurodegenerative disease is caused by the progressive loss of neurons, in the process known as neurodegeneration. Neuronal damage may also ultimately result in their death. Neurodegenerative diseases include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, mul ...

diseases. More specifically,

dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

and

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

. She was a co-founder of the ACE Foundation, a private non-profit entity dedicated to diagnosis, treatment, research, and helping people with Alzheimer's and their families. Boada received the "Creu de Sant Jordi", Catalonia's highest honor, in 2016.

Career

Boada, who received a doctorate in medicine from the

Autonomous University of Barcelona The Autonomous University of Barcelona (; Spanish: ; ; UAB) is a public university mostly located in Cerdanyola del Vallès, near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. , the university consists of 57 departments in the experimental, lif ...

, has focused her professional activity in the field of dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease, and has specialized in research on biomarkers and signaling proteins for this disease, the genetic and environmental factors involved in its appearance, and the application of therapeutic models of cognitive psychostimulation. She has been the founder and medical director of the ACE Foundation, dedicated to research and people suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. Boada has published more than 150 articles, has participated in more than 100 clinical trials at the Foundation and is recognized nationally and internationally in the world of

neurology Neurology (from , "string, nerve" and the suffix wikt:-logia, -logia, "study of") is the branch of specialty (medicine) , medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous syst ...

. Her activity in the field of cognitive and behavioral disorders, and in the health planning of resources and services for patients with dementia in Catalonia began in 1986. Her health and social work has led to the establishment and dissemination of specific centers in Catalonia for both its global diagnosis and stopping care for patients with dementia. Since 1986, she has participated in Catalan institutions as an expert advisor in the elaboration of the Comprehensive Plan for Older People in Catalonia (1990). She coordinated and published a model for care for people with dementia model via "''Life in Years Program'' " of the Catalan Health Service (1991). In 1991, she founded the first non-pharmacological treatment day center for people with dementia in the Spanish state, ''Alzheimer Centro Educacional'', where she began working with the Comprehensive Psychostimulation Program (PPI Boada & Tárraga, 1994) with the aim of offering a new therapeutic strategy to re-educate, socialize and promote the independence and quality of life of these patients and their families. In 1995, Mercè Boada together with Lluís Tárraga created the ''Fundación'' ACE, a private foundation dedicated to charity. This institution focuses its activity within the field of aging, cognitive decline and dementia. The main objective of the foundation is to promote a comprehensive care model for Alzheimer's disease, allowing to meet the needs of patients, families, professionals and researchers. Its founding objectives are early diagnosis and the treatment of dementia, basic research (clinical and applied) and being a reference resource for primary care and health care through the ''Day Care Unit.'' She has chaired the Catalan Neurology Society, as well as worked with the Valle de Hebrón University Hospital and its research arm. She is medical director Catalan Institute of Applied Neurosciences in 2016 when she received the "Creu de Sant Jordi".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boada Rovira, Merce Women neurologists Spanish neurologists 1948 births Living people Scientists from Catalonia