Center for Translational Research on Aging and Mobility

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This application proposes the renewal of an NIA Edward R. Roybal Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The theme of the proposed Center is "Translational Research on Aging and Mobility." Mobility restrictions become more prevalent with advancing age, and have been attributed to impairments in physical cognitive and visual function. In additional to mobility restrictions, adverse outcomes such as falls, crash involvement while driving, and injuries are also associated with the underlying impairments, as well as loss of driving ability which frequently results in depression and poorer health-related quality of life. The significance of this area of research is underscored by the fact that continued mobility fosters independence and the ultimate goal of the Roybal Centers is to benefit the lives of older people by improving physical, cognitive and visual function in order to enhance quality of life, increased productivity, and minimize the need for care. Furthermore, decreased mobility leads to both social and economic dependence on family members and society at large. The Center continuation application proposes two cores, each designed to enhance the research infrastructure necessary to accomplish the objectives of the Center, and to support and promote translational research in the many affiliated Center projects. The proposed Center will consist of a management core, which will provide data management and biostatistical services, technical support, access to State accident reports and a crash database, access to a recruitment database, access to assessment tools for use in Center research, access to a driving simulator facility, and a driving assessment clinic. The Management Core will also facilitate collaborations among academic researchers and commercial interests, and insure that new findings of the Center are communicated to the scientific community, health care professionals, government policy makers, and the public at large. These activities will all be facilitated by our Advisory Board, which will oversee the functioning of the cores and the affiliated projects. A pilot grant core will be used to foster the development of new ideas and interventions of benefit to the elderly, and which will help researchers pursue additional funding to further develop, test and implement the ideas piloted.