University of Southern California Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (USC AD/ADRD RCMAR)

The health, social and economic issues associated with dementia, and the disparate burden of dementia across different racial/ethnic populations, are of such magnitude and complexity that they require a vantage point from multiple disciplines. Generating scientific evidence to advance dementia research requires rigorous methods applied to the best available data. The University of Southern California’s Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease Related Dementias Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (USC AD/ADRD RCMAR) brings a distinct capacity for integrating theories and tools from myriad disciplines including but not limited to economics, sociology, and gerontology, using large, complex data sets, and applying rigorous panel data and quasi-experimental methods to generate innovative AD/ADRD research. Our interdisciplinary faculty have the support and expertise to advance research in our focus area: pathways by which social, behavioral and economic factors, and policies and health systems affect disparities in risk of AD/ADRD, and affect disparities in the health, health care and economic outcomes of persons living with dementia. We build upon our successful 10-year history of advancing the research and careers of early stage investigators. We bring together the infrastructure, leadership, interdisciplinary expertise and resources to: (1) increase the number and scholarly achievements of early stage investigators and; (2) develop new, innovative lines of dementia research. The USC AD/ADRD RCMAR is housed in the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, which brings together expertise in AD/ADRD from across USC’s schools, and maintains a large data core, analytical programming team, and external affairs team to support AD/ADRD research and disseminate findings for impact. To this we add resources and leaders from our partner NIA funded centers: USC’s Roybal Center for Behavioral Interventions of Aging, Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Center for Economic and Sociodemographic Study of AD/ADRD, and USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health. Importantly we have partnered with Spelman College, Howard University, and California State University Fullerton. Their junior researchers and senior scholars and leaders are uniquely positioned to bring different perspectives and broaden the field of AD/ADRD research. We propose a set of interrelated activities across three cores: (1) a Leadership and Administration Core to provide leadership, management, communication, and evaluation systems for achieving our goals; (2) a Research Education Core to selectively provided pilot research awards to junior scientists and team-based mentorship and professional development to support rigorous research; (3) an Analytical Core to develop new data and analytical resources to support innovative dementia research.