Translational Nutrition and Aging Research Academic Career Leadership Award

描述（由申请人提供）：这个K 07学术职业领导奖的总体目标是在伯明翰（UAB）的亚拉巴马大学开发一个可持续的转化营养和衰老计划，并与亚拉巴马州内的组织和个人合作，他们有兴趣在营养和衰老研究计划上进行合作。具体目标是：1）提供领导，核心教师和资源，支持创新，综合，跨学科，临床，行为和政策相关的合作，重点是转化营养和老龄化研究; 2）为博士前学员，博士后研究员，初级和过渡教师以及社区利益相关者提供与转化营养和老龄化研究相关的高质量教育经验，包括政策制定者和老年劳动力; 3）确定目前证据基础的差距，解决方法问题，并为转化营养和老龄化研究设定优先事项。候选人朱莉·L Locher是一名医学社会学家和卫生服务研究员，他作为独立调查员的工作一直致力于研究：1）老年人的饮食行为和营养问题，2）营养影响老年人以患者为中心的结果的各个方面。她的大部分工作集中在社会和环境因素，包括社区和卫生保健的做法和政策，影响饮食行为和营养相关的健康结果在这一人群。她 在混合定量和定性应用研究方法方面受到独特的训练。Locher博士拥有开发和领导转化营养和衰老研究的实质性和可持续计划所需的专业资格和个人素质，这是及时和前沿的。UAB在以下方面处于世界领先地位：1）老年医学，老年学，姑息和支持性护理研究，教育和临床护理; 2）营养和肥胖研究，教育和临床护理; 3）以患者为中心的结果和比较有效性研究和培训。候选人和UAB在一个出色的外部咨询委员会的支持下，特别有能力实现该计划的拟议目标。人口和经济的迫切需要突出了这样一个现实，即在我们迅速老龄化的社会中，营养问题的代价太高，不容忽视。考虑到以下因素，这一点尤其如此：1）加强努力，改善将医院和家庭卫生服务与社区服务联系起来的护理过渡，以减少可预防的医疗保健利用; 2）增加重新平衡长期护理的举措，使老年人可以留在社区，而不是不得不进入机构。婴儿潮一代超重和肥胖的比例上升，他们进入老年，伴随着肥胖相关的合并症和残疾，对这些趋势提出了额外和复杂的挑战，其中营养问题占主导地位。 公共卫生相关性：该奖项的预期成果是产生一个代表不同背景和兴趣的学者社区，他们拥有在与临床护理和基于人口的健康计划相关的转化营养和老龄化研究领域进行相关和有影响力的研究所需的知识和技能。转化营养和老龄化研究计划的成就最终有可能减轻老年人及其照顾者和整个社会的负担。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overarching goal of this K07 Academic Career Leadership Award is to develop a sustainable Program in Translational Nutrition and Aging based at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and in partnership with organizations and individuals within the state of Alabama who have an interest in collaborating on nutrition and aging research initiatives. Specific Aims are to: 1) provide leadership, core faculty, and resources that support innovative, integrated, interdisciplinary, clinical, behavioral, and policy-related collaborations focused on translational nutrition and aging research; 2) provide high quality educational experiences related to translational nutrition and aging research for pre-doctoral trainees, post-doctoral fellows, junior and transitional faculty, and community stakeholders, including policy makers and the geriatric workforce; and 3) identify gaps in the current evidence base, address methodological issues, and set priorities for translational nutrition and aging research. The candidate, Julie L. Locher, is a Medical Sociologist and Health Services Researcher whose work as an independent investigator has been devoted to the study of: 1) eating behaviors and nutrition issues of older adults and 2) the various dimensions through which nutrition affects patient-centered outcomes in older adults. Most of her work focuses on social and environmental factors, including community and health care practices and policies that affect eating behaviors and nutrition-related health outcomes in this population. She is uniquely trained in mixed quantitative and qualitative applied research methods. Dr. Locher possesses the professional qualifications and personal qualities necessary for developing and leading a substantive and sustainable Program in Translational Nutrition and Aging Research that is both timely and cutting-edge. UAB is a world leader in: 1) geriatrics, gerontology, palliative and supportive care research, education, and clinical care; 2) nutrition and obesity research, education, and clinical care; and 3) patient-centered outcomes and comparative effectiveness research and training. The candidate and UAB, with the support of a stellar External Advisory Committee, are particularly well-poised to carry out the proposed aims of the program. Demographic and economic imperatives highlight the reality that nutritional matters are too costly to ignore in our rapidly aging society. This is especially true in consideration of:1) increasing efforts to improve transitions of care linking hospital and home health services with community-based services in order to reduce preventable healthcare utilization and 2) increasing initiatives to rebalance long-term care so that older adults can remain in the community versus having to enter an institution. Rising rates of overweight and obese Baby Boomers who enter into older adulthood with concomitant obesity-related comorbidities and disability present additional and complicating challenges to these trends wherein nutritional matters figure prominently. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The expected outcome of this award is to produce a community of scholars representing diverse backgrounds and interests who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct relevant and impactful research in the area of translational nutrition and aging research relevant to clinical care and population-based health initiatives. Accomplishments of the Program in Translational Nutrition and Aging Research ultimately have the potential to reduce burdens on older individuals and their caregivers and society as a whole.