The Hopkins Undergraduate Summer Training and Research (USTAR) Program

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As the US undergoes a demographic transition to a larger and more racially and ethnically diverse older adult population, significant disparities in aging-related diseases will persist. Despite decades of research focusing on health disparities and minority health as it relates to aging, there has been minimal interdisciplinary research with emphasis on advancing research and policies focused on health disparities and minority health in middle to late life using a life-course perspective. Although there are aging- or health disparities-focused research programs at Johns Hopkins, at present there is no externally funded summer training program that supports the development of the next cadre of underrepresented undergraduate trainees in health disparities research as it relates to aging or minority aging focusing on cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s Disease, physical functioning, and frailty. The Hopkins Undergraduate Summer Training and Research (USTAR) Program described herein will sit at the nexus of other complementary aging- and health disparities-related training programs and Centers at Johns Hopkins. The overarching goal of Hopkins USTAR is to reduce health disparities and move toward health equity in health outcomes in older adults by increasing the diversity in aging research by focusing on underrepresented undergraduate students. We are requesting funds to support 8 underrepresented undergraduates per year for a total of 32 who attend our partner institutions full time: Morgan State University, and University of Maryland Baltimore County. There are 31 program faculty, drawn from the Departments of Health, Behavior, and Society, Mental Health, Health Policy and Management, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, School of Medicine, and the School of Nursing at Johns Hopkins University. The scientific leadership, infrastructure, collaborative nature, and collegial environment provided by these research programs and program faculty will enable the provision of broad exposure to all undergraduate trainees to the tenets of health disparities across the life course and minority aging to several age-related diseases such as cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s Disease, physical disability, and frailty. Specific aims include: (1) Train the next cadre of health disparities and minority aging researchers by ensuring hands-on participation in interdisciplinary, age-related research by providing trainees with a research project focusing on health disparities and/or minority aging across the life course as it relates to cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias, physical functioning, and frailty; (2) Provide research education in health disparities and minority aging across the life course as it relates to physical and mental health outcomes; (3) Implement career development opportunities, through individualized mentorship and by leveraging the leadership and career development resources across the Institution, to prepare trainees to begin their next career transition; and (4) provide an external evaluation of the outcomes and process of the Hopkins USTAR program.