Research Core 2: Health and Mobility Measures Core (RC2)

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PROJECT SUMMARY – Health and Mobility Measures Core (HMC) An important consideration for investigators undertaking studies relevant to the Center theme “To Understand and Optimize Reserve and Resilience” is how to select and implement the most appropriate and meaningful measures. The Health and Mobility Measures Core (HMC) will provide this service by serving as the central resource for Center investigators seeking advice, mentoring, training, and equipment for valid, sensitive, and reliable whole-person, non-molecular measures. A panel of 13 members, with complementary expertise in measurement across multiple domains, comprises the Core. The HMC will provide highly integrated, customized support to investigators supported by our Research Education Component (REC), Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core (PESC), External Projects (EPs), and the larger Duke Community engaged by the Duke Older Americans Independence Center. The Core will support investigators by meeting regularly, or as needed, throughout the full spectrum of project development; from early phase planning, to final interpretation of findings, to subsequent grant preparations to dissemination and/or implementation. These meetings will concurrently involve members of the Molecular Measures and Analysis Cores to ensure maximal synergy. The HMC will address three Specific Aims. Aim 1 - To provide centralized measurement expertise, available for consultation and mentoring to advance our thematic investigations of physical reserve and resilience. Aim 2 - To develop measurement protocols and train personnel in administration and data collection. Aim 3 - To identify gaps in reserve and resiliency measures and develop and/or adapt innovative new measurement approaches for related outcomes. Up to three REC Scholars and three PES awardees will be supported during the first year of funding. Members of the HMC will also provide service to EPs, and propose an innovative Developmental Project to extend measurement and predictive capacity of the electronic health record and other big administrative data sources. Two successful past workshops are proposed again; one to provide training in physical performance and functional testing, and one to provide training in ambulatory measurement and data collection, to augment the measurement capabilities of our trainees. New measures will be added to the HMC website and the Duke Pepper Center Study Dashboard will be developed and posted for users. The dashboard is an interactive data visualization dashboard that gives OAIC investigators the opportunity to interact with aggregated biomarker and physical performance data collected from OAIC-affiliated studies spanning three decades. The Dashboard will provide OAIC investigators with preliminary data to use for grant applications as well as a large, well-curated dataset for new analyses. The HMC will provide an invaluable service to the Center, which will lead to greater understanding of reserve and resilience, and which in turn, will point to opportunities to improve the current and future health and well-being of aging Americans across the lifespan.