# Multilevel Biopsychosocial Stress Mechanisms Underlying Racial Disparities in ADRD Risk

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2022 · $38,844

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 The goal of this fellowship is to prepare the applicant, Emily Morris, for a career as an independent
clinical researcher examining biopsychosocial stress mechanisms underlying racial disparities in Alzheimer's
disease and related dementias (ADRD). The proposed project consists of a research project examining the
roles of multilevel psychosocial stressors and biological risk factors in racial disparities in ADRD risk and a
training plan consisting of formal coursework, mentorship, hands-on research, and professional development.
Emily will be supported by a strong mentorship team with primary sponsors at the University of Michigan's
Department of Psychology and Institute for Social Research and consultants from the School of Public Health
and Columbia University. The mentorship team will provide expertise in ADRD disparities, neuropsychology,
neuroimaging, epidemiology, and advanced statistical analyses. The training plan will help Emily develop
expertise in 1) biopsychosocial determinants of racial disparities in ADRD, 2) biological risk factors and
neuropathological processes of ADRD, 3) advanced longitudinal statistical analyses, including causal
inference, and 4) disseminating findings and networking via manuscripts and conference presentations.
 Racial disparities in ADRD remain persistent. Without widely available treatment to modify the disease
course of ADRD, better understanding of underlying biopsychosocial mechanisms is critical in designing
interventions to alleviate these disparities. Stressors at multiple levels (i.e., interpersonal, community, societal)
disproportionately affect non-Hispanic Black older adults and may increase risk for ADRD, ascertained through
neuropsychological testing. Biological mechanisms through which these psychosocial stressors confer risk for
ADRD (i.e., inflammation, cerebrovascular disease) may provide further insight for intervention targets. There
is little consensus regarding how these mechanisms contribute to ADRD risk and disparities. Thus, the present
study aims to examine whether 1) psychosocial stressors at multiple levels mediate racial disparities in ADRD
risk, 2) biological risk factors mediate associations between psychosocial stressors and ADRD risk across
Black and White older adults, and 3) similar associations can be identified in an independent, nationally
representative dataset. These aims will be examined in the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project (MCAP), a
racially balanced cohort of non-Hispanic Black and White older adults in Southeast Michigan, and the Health
and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative study of older adulthood in the US.
 The proposed study aims address both the NIA Strategic Directions for Research in Aging and the NIA
Health Disparities Research Framework, which call for the consideration of biopsychosocial factors in
examining racial disparities in ADRD. The findings could inform design and implementation of feasible
interventions to al...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10462894
- **Project number:** 1F31AG077758-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Emily P. Morris
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $38,844
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10462894

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10462894, Multilevel Biopsychosocial Stress Mechanisms Underlying Racial Disparities in ADRD Risk (1F31AG077758-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10462894. Licensed CC0.

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