Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC)

PROJECT SUMMARY – LEADERSHIP and ADMINISTRATIVE CORE (LAC) The overall goal of this newly proposed Los Angeles Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (LA OAIC) between Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CSMC), the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of Southern California (USC) is to extend healthspan of older adults by advancing translational geroscience. We will accomplish this goal by providing knowledge, resources, and novel methodologies to emerging geroscientists – both early-stage investigators and established investigators new to the field. The LA OAIC draws upon multiple strengths of our shared scientific environment, including several collaborating NIA- and VA-funded programs such as two Clinical and Translational Science Institutes, two Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research, a Geriatric Research Education & Clinical Center, an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and several education and research training programs in geroscience, gerontology, and geriatric medicine. The Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC) fosters the integration of basic, translational, and clinical research in aging and geriatrics to catalyze scientific discoveries in translational geroscience, promote education and mentorship, and partner with other scientists and the community to develop novel interventions to improve the health, quality of life, and independence of older adults. The LAC monitors, stimulates, sustains, evaluates, and reports progress toward our OAIC’s goal. The Specific Aims of the LAC are to: 1) Provide direction and logistical support to operate the Center, manage resources, and promote cohesiveness of the program. 2) Disseminate innovations in translational geroscience accomplished by LA OAIC investigators, locally, nationally, and internationally. 3) Stimulate and facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among LA OAIC investigators and its cores, boards, committees, and projects, as well as with external researchers. 4) Provide programmatic support to the Pilot and Exploratory Studies Core (PESC), Research Education Core (REC), and Resource Cores (RCs) to select and promote projects and Scholars whose research is aligned with the LA OAIC theme. 5) Monitor and evaluate LA OAIC progress, foster institutional collaborations, and leverage resources through the Institutional Advisory Board (IAB). 6) Work with the External Advisory Board (EAB) to guide training programs, pilot studies, and RCs. 7) Serve as the point of contact for the NIA and the OAIC Coordinating Center to actively participate in the national OAIC network.