# An intersectional community-engaged approach for improving the inclusion of minoritized older adults in Alzheimer’s disease research.

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2024 · $129,411

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
Many minoritized populations, such as older adults from Black/African American, Latinx/a/o, and
socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer's Disease and
Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRDs). Yet, these populations are chronically under-included in
research, which has serious scientific and ethical ramifications and is a priority outlined in National Strategy for
Recruitment and Participation in Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Research. This highlights an urgent need for novel
research inclusion efforts. Therefore, the overall goal of this K01 Mentored Research Scientist Career
Development proposal is to address this critical need by providing Dr. Miriam Ashford with protected time to
obtain necessary training and research skills to become an independent scientist who develops novel theory-
driven, community-engaged initiatives to improve the inclusion of minoritized older adults into AD/ADRD
research. The short-term research goal is to develop and evaluate novel digital research inclusion efforts which
consider the intersection of ethnocultural identity (Black/African American & Latinx/a/o) and education
background (operationalized as years of education). This project will be implemented in partnership with two
existing Community Science Partnership Boards. The development of the inclusion efforts (messaging & design)
will be informed by a behavior change theory (Reasoned Action Approach). A sequential mixed-method design
will be applied as follows: In Aim 1, a quantitative cross-sectional survey will be developed and administered
among older Black/African American and Latinx/a/o adults to identify theory-based factors (based on the
Reasoned Action Approach) associated with greater intention to participate in different AD/ADRD research
settings (remote online assessment, remote blood biomarker collection, and in-clinic observational), and to
elucidate the role of intersectionality to intentions. In Aim 2, preliminary inclusion efforts will be created together
with the Community Science Partnership Boards and informed by findings from Aim 1. The acceptability of the
preliminary efforts will be iteratively evaluated and refined using qualitative focus groups with older Black/African
American and Latinx/a/o adults. In Aim 3, the efforts developed in Aim 2 will be piloted to facilitate enrollment in
two AD/ADRD studies with on-going digital recruitment: the Brain Health Registry and the Alzheimer’s Disease
Neuroimaging Initiative-4. Findings from this research will provide preliminary data for an R01 application to
evaluate the piloted digital inclusion efforts using a randomized experimental approach in Brain Health Registry,
Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and additional AD/ADRD clinical studies. To accomplish these
Aims and Dr. Ashford’s goal of becoming an independent researcher, she will engage in the following training
supported by a multidisciplinary expert m...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10950001
- **Project number:** 1K01AG088464-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Miriam Ashford
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $129,411
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-22 → 2029-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10950001

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10950001, An intersectional community-engaged approach for improving the inclusion of minoritized older adults in Alzheimer’s disease research. (1K01AG088464-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10950001. Licensed CC0.

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