Coco Tirambulo’s journey into the complexities of neurodegenerative diseases was not borne solely in a lab. It stemmed from a childhood surrounded by the love, empathy and the realities of aging. Coco Tirambulo’s passion for caring for older adults was shaped by both her heritage as a Filipino American and the care home operated by her parents. Her parents, who immigrated to the United States from the Philippines, operated assisted living care homes in Tucson. That was where Tirambulo witnessed firsthand the effects of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related conditions.
“It was a very nurturing environment, like having many grandparents, aunts and uncles around,” said Tirambulo, whose actual grandparents stayed in the Philippines. “When I was growing up there, I had no idea that a lot of them had chronic illnesses. But as I grew older, that’s what led me to go into the health sciences because, as a Filipino American, we have the mindset that we care for elders as they grow older.” Read more: