Alabama State University-Auburn University Partnership to Promote Diversity in Aging Research

项目摘要：在美国，经常观察到与衰老有关的疾病和健康差距； 疾病发病率和结果的差异被认为反映了社会经济因素的相互作用， 获得卫生保健、文化、饮食、环境和特定人群的遗传学/生物学。要解决这个问题 在这一问题上，教育和社会行为需要改变。这些变化可以通过多样化来促进 与老龄化相关的研究和教育队伍。此外，中国经济的快速增长和积累 当今生物医学领域的专业知识，以及某些人持续存在的健康问题 美国人口中的群体，强调使这一劳动力多样化的必要性。根据国家统计数据， 来自代表性不足的背景的博士毕业生的数量很少，没有明显的变化 三十多年来，尽管包括美国国立卫生研究院在内的各种资助机构做出了努力。几份国家报告 指出在研究生和生物医学课程中对未被充分代表的学生构成挑战的因素 终止度。因此，我们建议建立一所阿拉巴马州立大学(ASU)-奥本大学 (Au)R25伙伴关系，提供以老龄化为重点的教育模块，并揭露服务不足的情况 给学生一个暑期的研究体验，从而加速科学家/健康的发展 来自服务不足背景的护理提供者。通过利用的教育和研究基础设施 非盟(奥本，亚利桑那州)和历史悠久的黑人学院和大学(HBCU)的教育项目-少数民族- 为亚利桑那州立大学(亚利桑那州蒙哥马利)服务，我们开发了一种持久的、多方面的战略，结合 多学科和跨机构教育和与基本老龄化有关的研究项目，以培训 来自代表性不足社区的本科生。建议的老龄化教育和研究 经验将提供给正在崛起的大三学生和正在崛起的大四学生，主修生物医学学科。作为这项工作的一部分 R25计划，与老龄化相关的入门教育模块(在线模块开发)和基础研究 亚利桑那州立大学将在学年期间为选定的学生提供培训，而老龄化研究经验将 将在非盟提供。每年，该计划将支持10名学生(从亚利桑那州立大学招收)。在学术研究期间 通过持续不断的参与，亚利桑那州立大学被选中的学生将参与丰富 活动，包括教育；指导(研究和专业前)；科学写作研讨会；技术、 生物伦理学和科学讲习班；以及演讲培训。暑假期间，这些学生将表演 在非盟进行为期10周的衰老相关研究。每一年，所有的学生都要在一个区域会议上做报告。 或国家科学研讨会。总而言之，亚利桑那州立大学和澳大利亚大学的这一拟议项目将从 代表不足的社区，并推进增加美国生物医学多样性的国家目标 科学工作者，特别是在老龄化研究方面。

Project summary: In the US, aging related diseases and health disparities are frequently observed; the differences in disease incidence and outcomes are thought to reflect the interplay of socioeconomic factors, access to health care, culture, diet, the environment, and population-specific genetics/biology. To address this issue, educational and socio-behavioral changes are needed. These changes can be facilitated by diversifying the aging related research and educational workforce. Moreover, the rapid growth and accumulation of specialized knowledge in today’s biomedical fields, combined with health issues that persist among certain groups within the US population, emphasize the need to diversify this workforce. Based on national statistics, the numbers of PhD graduates from underrepresented backgrounds are low and have not changed appreciably over three decades, despite efforts from various funding agencies, including the NIH. Several national reports point out factors that challenge underrepresented students in graduate and biomedical programs in achieving terminal degrees. Therefore, we propose to build an Alabama State University (ASU)-Auburn University (AU) R25 Partnership to provide aging focused educational modules and to expose underserved students to a summer research experience, thereby accelerating the development of scientists/health care providers from underserved backgrounds. By leveraging the educational and research infrastructure of the AU (Auburn, AL) and educational programs of Historically Black College and University (HBCU)-minority- serving ASU (Montgomery, AL), we have developed a persistent, multi-faceted strategy, combining multidisciplinary and inter-institutional education and basic aging related research projects, to train undergraduate students from underrepresented communities. The proposed aging education and research experience will be available to rising juniors and rising seniors majoring in biomedical disciplines. As part of this R25 program, introductory aging related educational modules (online module development) and basic research training will be offered to selected students at ASU during academic year while aging research experiences will be provided at the AU. Each year, the program will support 10 students (recruited from ASU). During academic year with continuous and consistent engagement, the selected students at ASU will participate in enrichment activities, including education; mentoring (research and pre-professional); scientific writing seminars; technical, bioethics, and scientific workshops; and training for presentations. During summer, these students will perform aging related research at AU for 10 weeks. Each year, all students will make presentations during either a reginal or national Scientific Symposium. In summary, this proposed program at ASU and AU will train students from underrepresented communities and advance the national goal of increasing diversity in the US biomedical sciences workforce, particularly in aging research.