Administrative Core

ADMINISTRATIVE CORE: ABSTRACT Natives Engaged in Alzheimer’s Research (NEAR) will be organized into an Administrative Core, a Recruitment and Engagement Core, a Biospecimen Core, a Research Methods Core, and 3 Research Projects. We will also incorporate a nationwide network of 8 Satellite Centers led by American Indian/Alaska Native and Native

Hawaiian/Pacific Islander investigators who will assist with outreach, recruitment, and biospecimen collection. The contact Principal Investigator and Administrative Core Leader of NEAR, Dedra Buchwald, MD, Professor of Medicine at Washington State University, is widely recognized for her research, experience, and leadership in

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in Native communities, and for her ongoing efforts to eliminate health disparities. She is the Founding Director of Partnerships for Native Health, a program of culturally appropriate research that has established 150+ partnerships with various Native entities in a 15-state region, including tribes,

Indian health facilities, and organizations serving American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific islanders. Dr. Buchwald will be joined by James Galvin, MD, MPH, Professor, University of Miami, who will serve as the Scientific Director of NEAR and as a Multiple Principal Investigator and by John Kauwe, PhD,

who will also serve as a Multiple Principal Investigator and as Co-Leader of the Biospecimen Core. This Core will integrate the contributions of 6 academic partner institutions, all of which have experience collaborating with American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and other underrepresented minority

populations, and with strengths in administration, research methods, scholarship, community-informed research, field work, and dissemination. Notably, our 3 Research Projects include 11 tribes, 7 urban Indian programs, an AI-owned small business, and 5 Native Hawaiian-serving community organizations. Our Specific Aims

are to: 1) Support logistical and field operations across academic sites, including coordination of meetings and travel, and facilitate interactions with the Satellite Centers; 2) Oversee a plan for management, organization, and communication that stimulates, coordinates, integrates, and monitors activities and functions across and among

all NEAR Research Projects, Cores, faculty, and institutions; 3) Supervise and facilitate implementation of key strategic decisions, research regulatory processes, and data sharing plans; 4) Collaborate on program planning, review, and evaluation to ensure that NEAR achieves its goals and maintains its focus on population-based

research in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias-related health disparities; and 5) Convene the Executive Committee, the External Advisory Committee, the Publications and Presentations Committee, the Data Safety and Monitoring Board, and the Community Action Board. The latter will include diverse stakeholders and guide

researchers on local cultural concerns and solutions. In summary, the Administrative Core will manage, coordinate, and supervise the entire range of activities; monitor progress; ensure that component plans are implemented; and verify that all NEAR-supported research is carried out in compliance with Federal regulations

and policies. Together, NEAR committees and activities will ensure the successful implementation of all efforts.