photo: Steve Zylius/UC Irvine
Black Americans experience higher rates of cognitive impairment and are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) compared to other groups. Despite these disparities, Black communities have been underrepresented in clinical trials and research studies, hindering progress in understanding ADRD risk factors and interventions.
A new 3-year R34 planning grant, a funding mechanism that aids in the initial development of a clinical trial or research project, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke will be led by principal investigator, Karen Lincoln, PhD, professor of environmental & occupational health at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health. Lincoln hopes to address the gap of underrepresented minorities in research by fostering socially and culturally aligned strategies for engaging Black communities in brain health research.
Lincoln and team will focus on building a Black Aging cohort in Southern California, spanning Los Angeles and Orange counties, using a mixed-methods approach to identify structural and social determinants of health (SDOH) like income status, education level, access to healthcare, neighborhood quality, employment stability, transportation availability, social support networks, discrimination experiences, and cultural beliefs and community trust in research institutions that influence research participation.
Key project initiatives include:
- Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborating with community leaders to establish citizen panels and a community equity board to co-develop best practices for community engagement and raise awareness about brain health.
- Data Analysis: Leveraging online databases to assess census and government indicators of SDOH affecting Black neighborhoods and identifying barriers to research participation.
- Focus Groups: Gathering direct input from Black residents to understand neighborhood-specific inequalities and their impact on health and research involvement.
The objective of the research is to develop culturally tailored, neighborhood-specific strategies to strengthen relationships with Black communities, laying the groundwork for a health equity research plan and future studies.
“This grant represents a critical step toward building trust and creating meaningful partnerships with Black communities to address long-standing disparities in Alzheimer’s research,” said Lincoln who is the director of the UC Irvine Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research. “By focusing on the unique social and structural factors affecting residents in these neighborhoods, we can ensure that our research is both inclusive and impactful, paving the way for equitable advancements in brain health.”
