PROJECT SUMMARY – Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC) The Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC) has responsibility for the overall direction and operation of the Duke Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC). The LAC directs and ensures the integration of all Center components: Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core, Research Education Component, and three Resource Cores: the Molecular Measures Core (MMC), the Health and Mobility Measures Core (HMC) and the Analysis Core (AC). Operations of the Duke OAIC are directed by an effective central leadership and decision-making body called the Internal Operating Committee (IOC), which consists of the Duke OAIC Director, Co-Director, and the Core Leads. The LAC also provides administrative support for a Data Integration Working Group, a forum providing collaborative research activities and accessible expertise. Another key function of the LAC is to ensure the Duke OAIC is fully integrated at the institutional level by soliciting input from and promoting interactions with members of other units of the Medical Center, the University, and the Durham VA. Finally, the LAC ensures appropriate expertise is available to direct the selection of future projects, pilots, and junior faculty awardees by engaging experts to serve in an Independent Review Panel and External Advisory Board. The overall goal of the LAC is to provide the scientific leadership and administrative infrastructure for aging and geriatrics research in the Center theme ‘to understand and optimize reserve and resilience’. The specific aims of the LAC are: (1) To provide overall coordination, integration and administration of the Duke OAIC; (2) To stimulate, monitor, sustain and evaluate the progress of the OAIC towards achieving its research and education goals; (3) To assess scientific opportunities for innovative research in the theme with an emphasis on translational and interdisciplinary research; (4) To utilize and develop resources effectively to meet the goals of the Duke Pepper OAIC. Through these Aims, the LAC promotes the development of early-stage investigators in aging and geriatrics research and ensures the coordination, integration, funding, and translation of research within the Duke OAIC in support of our theme and our ultimate goal of improving the independence of older adults.