NIA Academic Leadership Career Award

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Alzheimer’s disease is a national public health issue. Black American and Hispanic older adults are significantly more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) compared with older Whites in the United States. Diversification of ADRD researchers can lead to an increase in the participation of

racially and ethnically diverse populations in critical aging and ADRD research and improve the efficacy of programs and services. I am committed to developing and implementing training programs that focus specifically on increasing underrepresented and minority (URM) participation in ADRD research. I have had a

fruitful research career that has focused on mentoring faculty members and students in community engagement methods, health communication principles, and dissemination and implementation science - each independently – as related to ADRD and other chronic diseases. With this siloed approach, junior scholars are

at a disadvantage and may have limited skills and training in applying these strategies together for truly impactful public health outcomes. The proposed program will integrate these fields into a comprehensive, equity-driven training program to effectively address how social determinants of health (SDoH) influence ADRD

disparities and outcomes among URM communities. With this K07 award, I will develop and formalize such a program to provide in-depth training and mentorship to 12 junior scholars (and engage several additional researchers in seminars and workshops) with a team of interdisciplinary program faculty and visiting scientists

to advance research on SDoH that influence ADRD-related health disparities. Specific aims are to: (1) Establish and implement an equity-driven research training program to build capacity and expertise in the integration of community engagement, health communication, and implementation science research that will

advance the science on ADRD disparities and outcomes; (2) Provide mentoring and a mentor network for URM junior faculty members in applying innovative community engagement, health communication, and dissemination and implementation frameworks to advance the science of SDoH and ADRD disparities; and (3)

Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all K07 activities with the goal of institutionalizing this initiative. This award will provide an opportunity to meaningfully integrate relevant disciplines into a holistic, equity-driven, and interdisciplinary training for advancing the science of ADRD.