Welcome to Brain Help and Hope

Mary Kelly is a co-founder of Brain Help and Hope and serves as the Program Director.
She has been involved with the KEYS to Dementia Prevention Program from nearly the beginning of 2019. She focuses on prevention through her roles in public health and research through her roles as a dental hygienist and certified dementia practitioner.

Mary’s passion for educating both professionals and the community ensures that the latest research and practices in brain, body and oral health ensuring widespread knowledge on aging healthy.
Mary holds a master’s in dental public health from University of Iowa’s College of
Dentistry and is a recipient of several national awards for her service and research.

Dr. Quinlisk was the Medical Director and State Epidemiologist at the Iowa Department of Public Health for 24 years. She is now semi-retired; continuing to teach about healthy lifestyles, and about reducing the risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia, including on the behavior changes to prevent dementia (KEYS to Dementia Prevention with Broadlawns Hospital, Iowa health department, and the Des Moines area YMCA). She recently started the non-profit organization Brain Help and Hope to support community efforts to improve the health of seniors. Her background includes working as a clinical microbiologist, training microbiologists while a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, a Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins, a medical degree from the University of Wisconsin, working as a field epidemiologist in the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, and is a professor at the University of Iowa teaching classes in public health and medicine. She has testified before Congress twice, served for 5 years as the Chair for the National Biodefense Science Board and in 2009 she received an honorary Doctorate of Science from Iowa State University.

Dr. Yogi Shah, Geriatric Section Chief, is board-certified in family medicine and geriatric medicine. He did his Geriatric Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic with a special focus on the early detection of dementia. He also holds a Master in Public Health (MPH) from Des Moines University and was 2021 College of Health Sciences Alumni of the Year.

He was the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Vice President (VP) of Medical Affairs for Broadlawns Medical Center during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023). Before joining the medical staff at Broadlawns, he served as the Founding Associate Dean of Global Health at Des Moines University. 

He serves as the Medical Director for GUIDE by CMS, Site PI for the University of Iowa GWEP, and Board Member of the Iowa Alzheimer’s Association chapter.

He has given talks on Early detection and prevention of dementia at national, and international levels. His current focus is on early detection, especially in minority populations through biomarkers, and improved brain health for all.