# Pathways to enrolling diverse Latinos in autopsy studies: Insights from a largelongitudinal study

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2023 · $116,252

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
This is an application for a K01 award for Dr. Alejandra Morlett Paredes, a postdoctoral fellow in the
Neurosciences department at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Dr. Morlett Paredes is establishing
herself as a young researcher conducting research to further understand Latino’s intentions to consent and
participate in brain donation studies and those that include invasive procedures for Alzheimer’s Disease and
Related Dementias (ADRD) research. This K01 award will provide Dr. Morlett Paredes with the support and time
necessary to accomplish the following goals: (1) gain proficiency in community engagement and recruitment; (2)
gain proficiency in mixed methods and survey research methodologies; (3) gain proficiency in neuropathology
of dementias; and (4) to develop grantsmanship and professional skills. To achieve these goals, Dr. Morlett
Paredes has assembled an expert mentoring team, including her primary mentor: Dr. Hector M. González
(expertise in neuroscience) and co-mentoring team: Drs. Lisa Barnes and David X. Marquez (experts in
community-based recruitment with underserved populations), Dr. Mark R. Luborsky (expert in mixed methods
and survey development) and Dr. Anne Hiniker (expert in Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology and brain autopsy
process).
The goal of the proposed project is to develop a survey instrument and culturally-tailored educational material
that will measure intention to consent and participate in brain donation studies for ADRD research among older
and diverse Latinos. Dr. Morlett Paredes will achieve this goal through the following specific aims: Aim 1: (a)
Develop and validate a new questionnaire, informed by the Organ Donation Model, to assess dimensions of
older Latinos’ intent to participate in brain donation research amongst community based and UCSD ADRC
participants; (b) Design culturally-tailored educational information through use of focus group techniques.
Implement the new instrument developed in Aim 1a to pilot test the impact of these materials by comparing pre-
and post-intervention scores on attitudes and intention to consent and participate in brain donation research
using UCSD ADRC participants and older community-based Latinos from the San Diego area. Aim 2: Implement
the new survey instrument in a large cohort of diverse older Latinos from the SOL-INCA to obtain information on
attitudes and intention to participate in brain donation research. If validated, this study will be used to develop
an R01 to enroll diverse Latinos in autopsy studies at ADRCs across the US proximal to 4 SOL-INCA Field
Centers in Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego, beginning with the UCSD ADRC.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10592154
- **Project number:** 1K01AG076962-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Alejandra Morlett Paredes
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $116,252
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-02-01 → 2028-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10592154

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10592154, Pathways to enrolling diverse Latinos in autopsy studies: Insights from a largelongitudinal study (1K01AG076962-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10592154. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*