Center for Health in Cognitive Aging (CHECA) - Joining Population Science and Health Promotion.

The Center for Health in Cognitive Aging (CHECA), a new Alzheimer’s-related RCMAR at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), will establish research and mentoring infrastructure for early-career faculty (RCMAR Scientists) from various backgrounds. The thematic focus of CHECA is behavioral and social pathways to Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) in the context of dementia care and caregiving. Behavioral and social pathways to AD/ADRD involve multiple levels, from biobehavioral and psychological factors to social structures (e.g., health systems, social norms). The team-based research community will support Scientists to conduct pilot studies. CHECA will support research that (1) advances our understanding of environmental, sociocultural, and behavioral contributors of disparities in AD/ADRD; (2) develops or tests health-promoting interventions or resources (e.g., physical activity programs, technologies, social support from communities or healthcare providers); and (3) cross-fertilizes population science and health promotion approaches to address health disparities in adults aging with or at risk for AD/ADRD. CHECA will promote ADRD research at UIC by building behavioral and social research infrastructure (Aim 1), broadening the AD/ADRD research workforce through mentorship and training for early-career Scientists (Aim 2), and supporting pilot research (Aim 3). CHECA is committed to understanding and addressing health disparities from various perspectives, paying special attention to intersecting factors (e.g., living with a disability) and structural environmental, biological, and other contextual factors (e.g., healthcare systems) that interact in additive or nonadditive ways to contribute to ADRD etiology and health outcomes over the life course. The Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC) will provide scientific and intellectual leadership, strategic direction, and administrative oversight to produce synergy across CHECA Cores. The Research Education Component (REC) will provide a mentoring program for RCMAR Scientists to support their long-term careers, will implement the pilot funding program (solicitation, review, and selection of pilot studies for funding), and will provide tools and training relevant to the CHECA themes. The Analysis Core (AnC) will support Scientists’ pilot projects through mentoring and consultation, enrich methodological infrastructure, and promote collaboration among CHECA Scholars, mentors, and the research community. The Community Liaison Recruitment Core (CLRC) will provide CHECA Scientists and their mentors with training opportunities and resources for conducting community-engaged research and will facilitate bi-directional collaborations between CHECA and community partners. UIC provides a fertile ground for a new AD/ADRD RCMAR that joins population science and health promotion research to better understand and address ADRD-related health disparities.