Community Liaison and Recruitment Core

摘要-社区联络及招聘核心

Summary – Community Liaison and Recruitment Core Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD) disproportionally affect older Hispanic Americans, this population is severely underrepresented in research studies, preventing advances to mitigate the excess burden and significant societal costs. The Community Liaison and Recruitment Core (CLRC) of the Alzheimer´s disease AD/ADRD-Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) will build upon the Center's prior success to continue spearheading its effort to train and support a diverse group of promising scientists in theory-based approaches for the engagement of older Hispanics, especially Mexican Americans, and their families in social and behavioral AD/ADRD research. The CLRC will also strengthen existing infrastructure for dissemination and translation of research advances impacting the engaged communities, and to obtain community feedback and direction aiming to establish true bi-directional learning, reciprocal expertise transfer, and enhance the Center Scientists’ expertise and commitment. The CLRC's Specific Aims are: (1) Working collaboratively with the Research Education Core (REC), educate, train, and mentor AD/ADRD-RCMAR scientists in theory and approach to community engagement for minority health disparities and assist AD/ADRD-RCMAR scientists in recruiting older Hispanics and their families into their research studies; (2) Expand community-academic partnerships and capacity to support recruitment and retention of older urban and rural Mexican Americans and their families in South Texas, especially along the US/Mexico border; and (3) Disseminate research findings to the scientific community, health care providers, and the South Texas communities served. We will achieve these aims through strong mentorship of AD/ADRD-RCMAR scientists, linkage of scientists with established investigators conducting community-based research in rural and urban Hispanic populations, and community training to facilitate the widespread adoption of best practices for optimizing participation in research studies. The results will create a state-of-the-art infrastructure for researchers, health care providers, advocates, and policymakers interested in decreasing health disparities affecting older Hispanics, and in particular those affected by AD/ADRD. To accomplish these goals, we have built a diverse team of scientists with extensive experience in community change, community–based research, education, and Mexican American populations. Scientists involved and collaborating include those at UTRGV, South Texas ADRC, and the World Health Organization Collaborating Center-Work Group for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas; and also health agencies, health care providers, clinicians, and community-based organizations of the Rio Grande Valley, Texas.