Research Education Component (REC)

The aim of the Research Education Component (REC) is to grow infrastructure and provide mentorship and pilot funding to early career investigators from underrepresented in medicine (UiM) backgrounds as delineated by NIH and this RFA

(e.g., racial and ethnic minorities, women, first generation college students) who are interested in the developing, testing

and implementing behavioral interventions for minority ADRD patients, care partners and dyads, following the revised NIH Stage Model, the Science of Behavior Change, the NIH Health Disparities Research Framework and the Center for Disease Prevention and National Academy of Medicine Prevention models. The REC will work closely with the Community Liaison

and Recruitment Core (CLRC) and with the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (MADRC) and Boston University ADRC (BU-ADRC) RECs (both focused primarily on biomarkers) to allow for crosspollination of resources and knowledge including translating novel biological mechanisms into behavioral health intervention targets. The REC will

support: 1) mentoring in ADRD and interdisciplinary behavioral research; 2) mentoring in health disparities, minority aging

and community engaged research; 3) developing of a pilot studies program to support UiM early career investigators. Rates of ADRD are increasing drastically, with the greatest burden among minorities. Much of ADRD research has been focused on understanding the biology of disease, with less focus on behavioral health interventions for primary, secondary and

tertiary prevention. Further, the burden of ADRD impacts not only the affected persons but also their informal care partners.

There is a critical need for research to translate scientific advances into behavioral health interventions in both community

and hospital settings to decrease ADRD burden for minority patients, care partners and dyads. The REC will directly address this need by leveraging: the interdisciplinary expertise at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston Medical Center (BMC), Cambridge Health Alliance and affiliated clinics; the outstanding resources of Harvard and Boston University

including MADRC, BU-ADRC; a NIA funded behavioral health ADRD R25; and numerous other important collaborators in the Boston area. The REC will also work closely to integrate activities and mentoring with other AD/ADRD RCMARs. The REC will be co-led by Ana-Maria Vranceanu (clinical psychologist) with expertise in behavioral health, ADRD, health

disparities and community-engaged research, and a strong track record of mentoring, and Maureen O’Connor (clinical psychologist) who has expertise in ADRD and neuropsychology and leads the BU-ADRC REC. Specific aims are: 1) to

develop and support a pilot project program (3 pilots/year; $40,000 each) from UiM investigators that fit the theme of the center; 2) to support the career development of pilot awardees (who will be named RCMAR Scientists) through a rigorous mentoring program; 3) to support mentoring of RCMAR Scientists in health disparities, ADRD and behavioral interventions

following the NIH Stage Model, NIA Health Disparities Framework, and CDC and NAM prevention models; 4) to develop and implement an evaluation plan for aims 1, 2 and 3 in coordination with the Leadership and Administrative core of Massachusetts Center for Alzheimer and dEmeNtia behaVIoral reSearch In minOrity agiNg (Mass-ENVISION).