Core E: Outreach and Recruitment Core

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The Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement (ORE) Core of Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) will pursue three main aims: (1) to outreach to, engage with, and inform Boston communities regarding Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD related disorders (ADRD) through traditional and novel initiatives, (2) to facilitate the recruitment and retention of participants in the ADRC Clinical Core (CC) cohort, research registry, and affiliated research projects, and (3) to collaborate with the Research Education Component (REC) in developing innovative print materials, courses, workshops, and programs for healthcare professionals, REC and other trainees, and the public that will lead to new participant referrals to our center, enhance expert and lay knowledge of AD/ADRD, and can be used in other ADRCs. By providing participants who can participate in the CC cohort and ADRC affiliated studies, the ORE core facilitates National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) milestones related to Translational & Clinical Research; and Biomarkers & Diagnosis. The ORE core also ensures adequate numbers of Black participants enroll in our CC cohort and affiliated local and national studies, addressing NAPA milestone, Population Studies, Precision Medicine & Health Disparities. The ORE Core team will continue to collaborate with our Data Management and Statistics (DMS) core to characterize and track participants, and help the Clinical, Genetic, Biomarker, and Neuropathology cores by creating materials to explain research procedures including lumbar punctures, PET scans, genetic tests, and brain donation. To achieve NAPA goals, Expand Supports for People with AD and Their Families, and Enhance Public Awareness and Engagement, the ORE core partners with local organizations including our BU ADRC Community Action Council, the Massachusetts ADRC, the Alzheimer's Association of MA/NH, the Boston VA, the Bedford VA, the Concussion Legacy Foundation, the City of Boston, and other groups. To enroll participants, we will use innovative programs: recruitment coordinators as Navigators; aiding recruitment while educating with Student Ambassadors; educating, retaining, and guiding participants into research with our AgeWISE program; educating and recruiting participants with our 7 Steps Talks; and our books. Additional outreach, recruitment, retention, and engagement strategies include our key partnerships, website, social media, brochures, newsletters, talks, memory screenings, clinic recruitment, seminars, participation at community events, “Thank You” retention brunch, and disclosure of genetic and biomarker information. Referrals to our center are generated by our ADRC Lecture Series and other professional education talks, CTE Conference, as well as relevant research and review papers. We will work with the DMS core to evaluate the effectiveness of our recruitment efforts and alter our efforts accordingly.