Research Education Component

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT - Research Education Core (REC) As the population of older adults in the US continues to rapidly grow and become more racially/ethnically diverse, there is an urgent need to better understand how to improve timely diagnosis and culturally responsive care of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and their family caregivers. Despite the growing diversity of the population and differences in dementia incidence and prevalence, gaps in scientific knowledge related to the cause and elimination of these disparities remain. In addition, the number of scientists from historically underrepresented groups who may have special insight into the cause and cure of these disparities remains limited. Therefore, the goal of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) Education Component (REC) is to develop new and innovative opportunities for research education and training of the next generation of scientists who will harness the currently available and expanding resources of the ADRC to address the goals of NAPA to effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease and associated disorders by 2025 . The REC supports the mission of the ADRC by capitalizing on and expanding the research education opportunities of junior investigators, with an emphasis on recruiting individuals from historically underrepresented groups. There is a strong need for new, creative, and diverse junior investigators to address the diversity and complexity of cognitive impairment in diverse populations. Towards this end, the goals of the REC are to (1) Outreach, recruit and engage junior investigators from diverse personal and professional backgrounds who will conduct Alzheimer’s disease-related research; (2) Develop and support a tailored mentoring and training plan for diverse junior investigators in the area of AD, with a particular focus on strengthening and diversifying the research workforce; and (3) Monitor and evaluate research, training and career development progress of trainees. The UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center has an extensive mentoring and research education record that includes graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty with interests in Alzheimer’s disease-related research. We will continue to build on this infrastructure with REC leaders –Dr. Oanh Meyer and Dr. Charles DeCarli, as well as the Training Oversight Committee. REC will leverage existing resources and expertise from local and national programs to contribute to the research education of future leaders in Alzheimer’s disease-related research. REC also will capitalize on the rich diversity of UC Davis and connect with programs such as the Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science to ensure recruitment of underrepresented groups. The interdisciplinary expertise of REC program faculty and affiliates will ensure the recruitment of diverse and promising trainees who will enter the ADRD scientific workforce.