South Florida expert on what you need to know about new Alzheimer's drug
Donanemab is meant to slow the rate of a brain's decline in the early stages of the disease.
Watch CBS News
Lauren Pastrana is the co-anchor of CBS News Miami weeknights at 5, 6, 7 and 11 p.m.
She joined CBS News Miami in April 2012 as a reporter and is an Emmy-nominated, multimedia journalist with experience in television, radio and web-based news reporting.
Lauren believes everyone has a story to tell and she loves to share them in the community where she grew up.
When Lauren first became a member of the CBS News Miami family, she was also doing double duty as the morning news anchor at Newsradio 610 WIOD.
After many months of very limited sleep, she became a full-time weekday evening reporter on CBS News Miami.
She also served as the anchor of CBS News Miami's morning newscast for five years.
While anchoring the morning show, she launched on-air franchises including "Lauren's List" and "South Florida Survivors," helped get pets adopted in her weekly "Dogs in the City" segment, and chatted about sports daily during "Talkin' With Joe."
She has helped lead CBS News Miami's coverage of historic events including several hurricanes, elections, the death of Fidel Castro, the coronavirus pandemic, the social justice protests of 2020 and the arraignment of former President Donald Trump. She produced, wrote and hosted the CBS News Miami special "Illuminating Alzheimer's" to shed light on a disease impacting millions of Americans, including her own family.
A Miami native, Lauren returned to South Florida from WINK-TV, the CBS affiliate in Fort Myers, where she was as a reporter and fill-in anchor.
Before her stint in southwest Florida, Lauren was a reporter and afternoon news anchor at WIOD where she covered everything from Super Bowl XLIV to local political corruption.
She also spent a season as an in-stadium reporter at Miami Dolphins games.
Lauren attended high school at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida.
While at UF, she was awarded the Four-Year Scholar Award, a distinction bestowed to those who graduate at the top of their class.
While in Gainesville, Lauren anchored and reported for WUFT-TV and was part of the team responsible for launching a Spanish-language web-based news service targeting Alachua and the surrounding counties titled AM850: Noticias en Español.
In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, watching baseball and spending time with her husband, son Jordan and daughter Gianela.
Donanemab is meant to slow the rate of a brain's decline in the early stages of the disease.
Thanks to Oliver Burkhardt, a young South Florida cancer fighter, June 24th is now National Patch Day.
CBS News Miami has continued to follow the stories of people living with the disease.
The technology and its uses are evolving and could be a noninvasive option for Alzheimer's patients.
The study's goal is to identify inherited and natural factors that slow aging and protect against diseases.
The state recently approved a $6 million increase to help families who need that financial support.
While therapeutics are developing and diagnosis is getting easier, there is still no cure for Alzheimer's disease.
One local nurse knows all about the signs and symptoms, but even she didn't expect to become a patient herself.
Just like there are courses to teach you how to help someone who isn't breathing, there are courses to teach you "Mental Health First Aid."
Lauren Pastrana and her guest discuss the options currently being discussed, possible solutions and how all this might impact students, their teachers and their parents.
Lauren Pastrana does a deep dive with perspective from leaders of local Jewish and Muslim groups for their take and perspective on the protests, the fallout and the fear and threats they are creating.
The oldest living retired Miami-Dade police officer is now 99 years old.
The topic of book bans once again sparked heated debate at a Broward County School Board meeting.
Right now, abortion is illegal after 15 weeks. As of May 1st, abortion will be illegal after six weeks. The amendment voters will be deciding on, will focus on viability, not a number of weeks.
Many celebrities or well-known influencers will tell you, never read the comment section.