The impacts of Alzheimer’s disease are taxing, both emotionally and economically, as shown in these stats from the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2014 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures.

Focusing on four sectors — STEM, justice, development and investment — we rounded up some of the city’s key leaders: a district attorney, a med school dean, the head of an FBI office and enough CEOs to rival “Shark Tank,” to get their take on how women are perceived in their industries, how that perception has changed over time and what it will take to truly reach parity.

The person who finds the cure for HIV will have their name etched in medical history. It’s a hard pill to swallow for one man who has spent 40 years chasing a cure. A cure for HIV, built upon decades of his work, could very well be proven this year. Yet Dr. Gerhard Bauer’s name may be little more than a footnote in the arcane medical journal that publishes the breakthrough.

This is the story of curing HIV. 

Entrepreneurs, small business workers and students will have the chance to learn about startups and contribute to Placer County’s economy this spring when Sierra College and Hacker Lab open their new co-working and making space.

With SynGen, co-founder Philip Coelho hopes to play a critical role in this breakthrough by supplying tools that harvest stem cells and immune cells from umbilical cord blood, bone marrow and other sources. 

Momentum is shifting in the Capital Region, and young professionals are leading the charge. General skepticism is being replaced with emerging optimism and a renewed energy that’s providing the catalyst for growth and innovation across our cities.  Here are the top ten young leaders we think you should be watching. They are driving the Capital Region’s evolution, and we anticipate you’ll see them at the forefront in 2015 and decades to come.

Forrester Research says the number of you wearing wearable devices will triple this year and that 68 percent of global technology and business leaders see wearables as a priority. But what about you, the consumer? Are wearable technologies improving your daily life? If so, how?

The invasion has begun. Don’t look surprised. This moment has been a long-time coming, with research groups prophesying 2015 as the launching point of the wearable technology takeover. 

The best wearable technology seamlessly combines fashion and electronics in a way that reflects consumer preferences. Helen Koo, assistant professor in the department of design at UC Davis, outlines six key areas that make for well-rounded wearable technology products.

How effective are technological tools at changing the behaviors and quality of life of the people who use them? I know a lot of people who bought FitBits in the past two years and zero people who still use one. Meanwhile, our editorial team can’t even figure out how to benefit from a sleep app.