# Enhancing Undergraduate Preparation for Research in Aging and Neurologic Diseases

> **NIH NIH R25** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $57,278

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
In the decades ahead, demographic trends suggest that the sheer number of older
adults will increase, and they will make up a larger proportion of the overall population.
Consequently, we will need an expanding cadre of scientists and professionals
specifically trained to generate new knowledge about aging and best practices for
providing services for older adults. To address this need, we will conduct an eight-week
Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Aging and Neurologic Diseases at the
Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health at Washington
University. The program will 1) provide undergraduate students with an intensive
experience that exposes them to the full continuum of research activities and teaches
them generalizable research skills, and 2) frame the research training in the context of
aging and neurological disorders that are common across the lifespan, particularly in
later life. These two goals address the need to cultivate the next cohort of researchers
while at the same time addressing the urgent workforce shortage of scientists and
scholars familiar with the issues of an aging society.
Up to 10 undergraduate students each year will be matched with an individual faculty
member whose research focuses on one of three neurological conditions (stroke,
Parkinson's disease, and dementia) or who conducts research on interventions that are
relevant for individuals with these conditions (e.g., home modifications, increasing re-
engagement in valued activities). Students will also gather for weekly seminars that will
expose them to a multidisciplinary perspective on aging and older adults, teach them
introductory research skills, foster an understanding of the research process and its
implications, and encourage their professional growth and momentum toward further
training. With this program we aim to recruit and engage trainees from diverse
backgrounds and disciplines, which reflect the multidisciplinary approach necessary to
advance research on the prevention and treatment of neurologic disorders among older
adults and nurture their interest in pursuing academic and professional opportunities in
the sciences and research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10071218
- **Project number:** 5R25NS100133-04
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** BRIAN D CARPENTER
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $57,278
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10071218

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10071218, Enhancing Undergraduate Preparation for Research in Aging and Neurologic Diseases (5R25NS100133-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10071218. Licensed CC0.

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