Title: “Rio Grande Valley Alzheimer´s Resource Center for Minority Aging Research: Partnerships for Progress”.

What?

We are proposing to establish an Alzheimer´s disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research at UTRGV, with a focus on Alzheimer´s disease in Hispanic populations.

The Center has four components

– Administrative Core, led by Dr. Gladys Maestre

– Research Education Core, led by Dr. Gabriel de Erausquin

– Analysis Core, led by Dr. John Blangero

– Community Liaison Core, led by Dr. Frank Fernandez

and will support three research projects annually.

Why?

Because Alzheimer´s disease disproportionately impacts Hispanics/Latinos,

who represent the faster-growing segment of the elderly population in the US and particularly in Texas.  Innovative solutions are needed, and populations of the US/Mexico border have a very high risk of Alzheimer’s, given the constellation of factors, including obesity, diabetes, and socioeconomic factors.

How?

Building on longstanding strengths in social, behavioral and biomedical research at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and facilitated by partnership with the Washington´s University Alzheimer´s Disease Research Center, the UTRGV AD-RCMAR will lead and coordinate an effort in the Rio Grande Valley to enhance the diversity of the research workforce of minority aging and develop infrastructure and data collections that will attract and support researchers from multiple disciplines and at different scientific career stages, and allow them to conduct research aimed at reducing the impacts of AD on Hispanics.