Rio Grande Valley Alzheimer's Resource Center for Minority Aging Research: Partnerships for Progress

总结 阿尔茨海默病（AD）是一种与衰老相关的疾病，对西班牙裔/拉丁裔的影响不成比例， 他们的AD发病率比老年白人高1.5倍，平均发病时间早7年。预测生长 美国西班牙裔人口的增长，特别是在得克萨斯州，预示着比例失调的进一步加剧- 在西班牙裔人中，AD的健康和经济负担增加。缺乏研究人员专注于 西班牙裔AD和相关疾病（ADRD），特别是来自代表性不足的种族/族裔群体。到 为了克服这些障碍，拟议中的少数民族老龄化研究AD资源中心（AD-RCMAR） 德克萨斯大学格兰德河谷分校（UTRGV）是美国最大的西班牙裔服务机构之一， 将联合收割机循证指导和支持机制结合起来，发展和促进一流的区域和 国家骨干研究人员，特别是来自代表性不足的群体，分析复杂的机制， nisms和相互作用的因素，有助于西班牙裔的不同脆弱性，以AD。该中心将提供- 端口识别的途径和发展的时间点，在社会环境的变化， 行为可以发挥最大的有利影响，预防和发展的西班牙裔美国人的AD。的 UTRGV AD-RCMAR将利用其独特的资源开发基础设施和数据收集， 吸引和支持来自多个学科和不同科学生涯阶段的研究人员，并允许他们 进行旨在减少AD对西班牙裔的影响的研究。社会人口概况 UTRGV反映了当地社区的情况，将该中心定位为独特的，以推进对 并为改善少数群体的健康提供创新解决方案。我们将实现 中心的目标通过4个具体目标：1）识别，参与，导师，并提供高质量的培训和个人， 为优秀教师提供职业发展支持，特别是来自代表性不足的群体; 2） 港口创新、高影响力的多学科试点项目; 3）为文化- 敏感的测量和分析老年西班牙裔人的认知风险因素，包括行为，神经， 心理学、神经影像学、心血管和遗传特征; 4）创造必要的专业知识 和资源，以建立纵向研究队列的老年西班牙裔和他们的家庭。我们将实现 通过创建4个核心（行政、研究教育、分析和社区）实现这些目标 联络/招聘），以支持AD研究。该中心将利用调查人员在 UTRGV神经科学研究所和南德克萨斯糖尿病与肥胖研究所的合作者， 华盛顿大学AD研究中心。

Summary OVERALL Alzheimer´s disease (AD) is an aging-associated disorder that disproportionately impacts Hispanics/Latinos, who exhibit AD rates 1.5 times higher and average onset 7 years earlier than do older whites. Predicted growth of the US Hispanic population, particularly faster in Texas, portends further exacerbation of the disproportion- ate health and economic burdens of elevated AD in Hispanics. There is a shortage of researchers focused on AD and related disorders (ADRD) in Hispanics, particularly from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. To overcome these barriers, the proposed AD Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (AD-RCMAR) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), one of the nation's largest Hispanic-serving institutions, will combine evidence-based mentoring and support mechanisms to develop and promote a first-rate regional and national cadre of researchers, particularly from under-represented groups, to analyze the complex mecha- nisms and interacting factors that contribute to Hispanics' disparate vulnerabilities to AD. The Center will sup- port identification of pathways and developmental time points at which changes in social circumstances and behavior can exert the largest favorable impacts on prevention and progression of AD among Hispanics. The UTRGV AD-RCMAR will exploit its unique resources to develop infrastructure and data collections that will at- tract and support researchers from multiple disciplines and at different scientific career stages, and allow them to conduct research aimed at reducing the impacts of AD on Hispanics. The socio-demographic profile of UTRGV reflects that of its local community, positioning the Center uniquely to advance studies of disparities in health and health care and contribute innovative solutions to improve minorities' health. We will achieve the Center's goals via 4 specific aims: 1) to identify, engage, mentor, and provide high-quality training and individu- alized career development support to outstanding faculty, especially from underrepresented groups; 2) to sup- port innovative, high-impact multidisciplinary pilot projects; 3) to provide expertise and resources for culturally- sensitive measurement and analysis of cognitive risk factors in older Hispanics, including behavioral, neuro- psychological, neuroimaging, and cardiovascular and genetic traits; and 4) to create the necessary expertise and resources to establish longitudinal research cohorts of older Hispanics and their families. We will achieve these aims through the creation of 4 Cores (Administrative; Research Education; Analysis; and Community Liaison/Recruitment) to support AD research. The Center will build upon the experience of investigators at the UTRGV Institute of Neuroscience and collaborators at the South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute, and Washington University's AD Research Center.