Center for Aging in Diverse Communities: Ending Health Inequities in Older Adults

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Center for Aging in Diverse Communities (CADC), an NIA- funded RCMAR since 1997, conducts research, training, and mentoring in minority aging and health disparities research. CADC offers a rich, multidisciplinary environment with social, behavioral, epidemiological, cognitive neuroscience, statistical, and internal medicine faculty providing mentoring and training support. The San Francisco Bay Area provides access to a wide range of diverse racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and sexual and gender minority older adult populations. Our on-going studies with diverse rural and urban communities and solid relationships with over 100 community and clinical partners serving older adult disparity populations provide applied laboratories for mentoring. Our research theme addresses two NIA priorities: (1) understanding mechanisms of health disparities and developing effective interventions to reduce them; and (2) to develop infrastructure for high quality research. Since 1997, CADC has mentored over 90 minority underrepresented early investigators who have made significant contributions to minority aging research. In the past 5-year funding cycle, we mentored 25 minority early investigators and funded 26 pilot projects. Our cores will continue within the new RCMAR organizational framework. The Administrative Core (AC) will coordinate integration of the cores, selection of CADC Scientists, reporting, and external advisors. The Research & Education Component (REC) will provide continual mentorship and pilot study funding for CADC Scientists. The Analysis Core (AnC) will advance and disseminate methodological resources and measures for minority aging and health disparities research. The Community Liaison & Recruitment Core (CLRC) will enhance recruitment and retention and promote engagement of diverse communities in research. Our CADC cores contribute jointly and uniquely to mentoring and training CADC Scientists and others in conducting research to resolve the challenging issues facing our older adult disparity populations. CADC's aims are to: (1) select 3-4 CADC Scientists (underrepresented junior investigators) per year, provide them with pilot study funding, and mentor them to develop independent research careers in health disparities and minority aging research; (2) develop and disseminate (a) methods for conducting interventions to ameliorate disparities among older adults, (b) methods for developing/selecting measures appropriate for disparity populations, and (c) methodological resources on advanced research and statistical methods; and (3) advance the science of community engagement and recruitment to increase participation of disparity populations in research, and mentor CADC Scientists on these methods. CADC will contribute to diversifying the workforce by promoting the expertise and careers of exceptionally talented underrepresented CADC Scientists to develop independent research careers. The cumulative experience, commitment to health equity, and professional networks of CADC Faculty and Scientists in the research and local communities ensures that we will achieve these aims.