Support Staff

The Support Team is a volunteer group of Senior Support Staff and Interns who are certified Functional Medicine Health Coaches and graduates of the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy with a special passion for supporting brain health for those who carry one or two copies of the ApoE4 allele.  They provide warm welcomes to all forum members after their first post with resources such as the Primer and Wiki to guide them on their own journey.

 Julie L.  “JML” (Support Team Leader)

When her ApoE 4/4 father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Julie became a participant with her father at Dr. Dale Bredesen’s first Patient Immersion in 2017.  She heard the message of hope that genes are not our destiny and that much can be done to prevent and reverse dementia. After a career developing new foods as a scientist, Julie was inspired to transition to health coaching. She graduated from the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy in 2018, and while studying there she was a member of the first cohort of ApoE4.info intern health coaches.

Julie is now a National Board-Certified Health Coach and supports her clients through Cogwell Coaching.  She is certified in the ReCODE 2.0 program through Apollo Heath and has written and presented training modules for Apollo’s ReCODE 2.0 coach certification, as well as serving as a webinar presenter, moderator and provider of support groups for Apollo Health members who are care partners or those exposed to toxins.

Julie is a forum moderator and co-leader of the Senior Support Team.  She and NF52 provide twice-yearly recruitment, training, and supervision for a cohort of health coach interns who welcome members posting for the first time.  Julie also hosts an international Meet-Up group for ApoE4.info members who enjoy meeting on Zoom to share diverse strategies for improving brain and cardiovascular health.

Nancy   “NF52” (Support Team Leader)

Nancy was a teacher/administrator for 40 years for students whose learning styles didn’t fit neatly into a diagnostic category.  She is especially grateful to the children with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), their families, teachers and health care providers who taught her just how resilient our brains (and hearts) can be after trauma.  As someone with two copies of ApoE4 and a strong family history of Alzheimer’s and cardiac disease, Nancy believes that we all benefit from support to visualize, find or create the needed steps for our own desired future.

At age 58, Nancy earned a second Master’s degree in Mind, Brain & Education, an experience she enjoyed because it was a gift to her own brain. She continues to learn as a Consumer Reviewer of grants related to TBI and Alzheimer’s on the Congressionally-Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) and as a member of an advisory panel of clinical trial participants. She especially enjoys being an ApoE4.info forum moderator and Co-Leader of the Senior Support Team and Support Team Interns with Julie L.  Nancy hopes to pay forward the support she has received since joining ApoE4.info in 2016. Above all, she enjoys time with her husband of 40+ years, their adult children’s families, and their grandchildren, all of whom make life wonderful.

Alexia    “Alexia C ”  (Bilingual English/Spanish Senior Support Team Member)

Alexia is a bilingual Spanish/English health coach who lives in El Salvador with her husband of 28 years and her three dogs. She earned her bachelor’s degree from The College of William & Mary in Virginia and her MBA from the University of Miami. Her experience as an owner and chef in both restaurants and gourmet stores was built on her love of growing her own culinary herbs, creating teas with natural healing properties, cooking with healthy ingredients and her strong belief that ‘food is medicine’.  She  has completed an MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) program, graduated as a Functional Medicine Health Coach and is pursuing ReCODE 2.0 certification in the Bredesen protocol. Alexia welcomed 23 new members  to apoe4.info as an intern from September 2022 through February 2023 and looks forward to supporting members needing assistance in Spanish-English translation or in finding resources on the forum.

Alexia’s exposure to Alzheimer’s started with her first roommate when she was 8 yrs. old: her grandmother. At that young age, although not fully understanding the ramifications, she witnessed the difficulty and complexities of living with a loved one facing progressive cognitive decline. She has family members that carry the Apoe4 gene and is committed to serve others as she deepens her knowledge of how modifying behaviors can lead to longevity, improve brain health, and reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk.

Marie  “floramaria” (Senior Support Team Member)

Marie joined the ApoE4.Info Support Team as an intern in 2017. Marie is a “conversational Spanish” speaker who has welcomed and supported forum members who are more comfortable posting in Spanish. She appreciates the forums for cutting edge information on new research, and for the lively in-depth discussions and camaraderie. Because she is at risk of Alzheimer’s herself, she followed research on Alzheimer’s for three decades before finding hope in the ApoE4.Info community and Dr. Bredesen’s work. She is grateful to live in this time, where ApoE4 risk is better understood and can be mitigated.

Marie is deeply committed to being part of the end of Alzheimer’s for herself and for others working to prevent or reverse cognitive decline. She has followed Dr. Bredesen’s Protocol since she first read about it in 2015, with a personal emphasis on positive psychology and neuroplasticity.
She is a ReCODE 2.0 Certified Health Coach and has a private coaching practice ( thehealthybraincoaching@gmail.com) in addition to volunteering as an ApoE4.info Senior Support Team member.

In her spare time, Marie hikes in the wilds of Northern New Mexico and tends her 3 acres of gardens and fields. Her daily Qigong/Tai Chi practice helps to keep her strong and flexible. She loves international travel and looks forward to seeing more of the world and meeting more of its lovely inhabitants.

Sara “Sara” (Senior Support Team member)

Sara was fortunate to retire early from a long career in physician practice and hospital service administration.  She enrolled in the Functional Medicine Coaching Program to pursue a healthier lifestyle and when her sister experienced early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, Sara’s program leaders suggested that she volunteer with the apoe4.info forums.  She has been on the Support Team ever since 2018 and has mentored intern health coaches and provides support during their time on the forum.

 Sara is now a ReCODE 2.0 Certified Health Coach and serves as a moderator for the forums and Facebook page of Apollo Health. In addition to being a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, Sara is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach with MOCA [Montreal Test of Cognitive Assessment] certification.  Sara has provided a coaching practice since 2018 focused on preventing, halting, and reversing cognitive decline. Sara has been fortunate to see a complete reversal of cognitive decline and return to normal living within her practice.

Sara is a breast cancer survivor, four-years out, who pushed through with minimal surgery and a holistic approach. She is passionate and devoted to family and friends, an avid exerciser, Zumba and Tai Chi enthusiast, a reawakened artist, and reads for pleasure and learning.

Julie Owen Morris, Ph.D.  “JulieMorris”  (Support Team Intern)

Julie has a doctorate in speech-language pathology and has assessed and treated patients with many types of cognitive disorders.  Julie experienced a period of lupus-related brain fog several years ago, and she now has a family member with mild cognitive impairment, who is following the ReCODE program.  Since Julie’s poor immune system began to limit her ability to treat patients, she pivoted to teaching and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses for the last 12 years as an adjunct professor.  

Julie’s health dramatically improved when she began following functional medicine principles five years ago.  By changing her diet and other lifestyle factors, she was able to wean off of 8 medications and her cognition, energy, and pain levels all improved.  Wanting to help other autoimmune patients, she enrolled in FMCA (Functional Medicine Coaching Academy).  Now, as a certified functional medicine health coach, she plans to specialize in cognitive health and autoimmune disease.  Julie’s first book was published in 2023 and she is currently working on another one.  She’s married with two intelligent daughters, and she loves reading, writing, movies, beaches, and her pets.

Helen Owens  “HelenOwens”  (Support Team Intern)

Helen is a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach dedicated to supporting individuals to prevent and navigate through chronic illnesses using a holistic approach to health. Helen is driven by the mounting research and evidence supporting the positive impact of diet and lifestyle interventions to preserve brain health, mitigate cognitive decline and chronic disease. She is committed to empowering others to make sustainable behavior changes to guide their health toward those objectives.

Through the heartbreaking impact of dementia in her family, and as a caregiver for her father who passed from cancer, Helen not only tended to their medical needs but also navigated the complexities, emotions, and stress of researching and advocating for someone with chronic illnesses. She feels profound gratitude for communities that have positively impacted those journeys and it has become her purpose to give back to others going through their own journey.

Helen left her former corporate career to follow her heart’s call to support others in achieving health. She was also a fitness instructor with a mission to help empower women to rediscover their strength and swagger. Helen loves to dance and is learning various forms of ballroom dance. She lives in Massachusetts with her family and dreams of visiting a long list of global destinations.

Lyre Taylor “Lyre Taylor” (Support Team Intern)

For several years, Lyre dedicated herself to caring for her two grandparents who battled dementia, while witnessing her uncle’s gradual decline due to Parkinson’s and Lewy body disease. Despite her desperate desire to help them recover, she felt powerless—there seemed to be no solution. This is why she is enthusiastic about genetic testing. When we discover our genetic predispositions to certain diseases, we gain the ability to leverage epigenetics—a powerful tool—to prevent the onset of these conditions. We can alter our destiny through modifiable lifestyle factors. We are fortunate to live in an era where knowledge equips us to make informed choices for our future. Lyre’s journey caring for loved ones battling dementia and neurological disorders has fueled her passion for genetic testing and functional medicine. As a Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach, she is committed to empowering others to make informed choices for their health and well-being.

On a personal note, Lyre has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for thirty years. Together, they have raised three remarkable children whom she homeschooled for a total of 17 years. Her greatest joy lies in playing with her beautiful grandchildren. Additionally, she has a passion for gardening, especially cultivating herbs.