GERIATRIC RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTERS

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The Duke Geriatric Research and Training Center is organized to enhance and support research and research career development in geriatrics through its Core resources. The central theme of the GRTC will be Research on Aging and Chronic Illness. The GRTC will be based in the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, an all-university multidisciplinary program. It will take advantage of the rich resources of the Duke University Medical Center, the Duke Aging Center, the Durham VA GRECC, and other affiliated programs. Examples of such programs include the Durham VA Health Services Research and Development Program, Clinical Research Center for Depression in the Elderly, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly, Behavioral Medicine Program, and Heart Center. This rich milieu includes 96 senior fellows of the Aging Center and 50 investigators with 14.8 million dollars of funded research in areas directly related to the theme of this project. The long-established Post-doctoral Research, and Geriatrics Training Programs serve as natural feeders for career development. The GRTC will build upon existing Aging Center Core facilities to provide new resources in key areas to include five linked core programs: a Leadership/Administrative core; three research cores: A) Cardiovascular and Autonomic Physiology Laboratory (will provide facilities for evaluation of nervous system and cardiovascular responses and cardiovascular function), B) Epidemiology/Health Services Research core (will provide expertise in the design and implementation of epidemiologic and health service studies), and C) Genetic Analysis Laboratory (will provide facilities for DNA banking, and genetic epide- miology consultation for linkage and related studies); and a Research Career Development core which will facilitate career development of academic geriatricians through project and salary support. Career development activities will provide mentored research experiences, and further didactic training where needed. During the first year, four career development and pilot projects will be supported: two for junior faculty with fully completed geriatric training and two pilot projects from young investigators who will conduct research relevant to the GRTC.