# Quantifying Lower Extremity Joint Motion in Community-Dwelling Older Adults to Elucidate its Contributions to Mobility Limitations, Incident Mobility Disability, and Falls

> **NIH NIH K25** · RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $144,764

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 This resubmitted application responds to PA-18-396 Mentored Quantitative Research Development
Award (Parent K25). The overall goal of the proposal is to provide support and protected time for supervised
research and study to supplement Dr. Robert Dawe’s strong quantitative background as a biomedical
engineer, enabling his transition to an independent investigator in NIH-relevant research of age-related mobility
impairment. The proposal includes complementary research and career development components.
 The research component focuses on two understudied aging phenotypes, mobility disability and falls
among older adults. Their prevention and treatment is a public health priority that hinges on early identification
of mobility limitations. To fill key knowledge gaps toward this goal, a battery of three portable, cutting-edge
devices will be used to assess mobility limitations in large numbers of older adults in the community setting,
circumventing testing in specialized labs. These novel data have the potential to identify at-risk individuals prior
to the onset of disability or a fall, thereby facilitating early, targeted interventions. Furthermore,
an Exploratory
Aim links this proposal to Dr. Dawe’s past work with brain imaging and also to his long-term goal of elucidating
the pathologic basis of age-related mobility impairments.
 The career development component of the proposal will provide the applicant with additional didactic
and clinical training in four targeted areas to facilitate his growth as an independent investigator in his chosen
field of aging research: 1) clinical manifestation and treatment of musculoskeletal and neurologic diseases,
mobility limitations, and mobility disability in older adults, 2) deploying novel technologies to study mobility and
health in community-dwelling older adults, 3) advanced statistical techniques, and 4) neurobiology and
neuropathology underlying mobility limitations and mobility disability.
 Dr. Dawe’s progress will be accelerated by frequent interactions with his Mentor, Dr. Buchman, a
pioneer of device-based mobility quantification, and his Co-Mentor, Dr. Bennett, Director of the Rush
Alzheimer’s Disease Center. In addition, directed readings, one-on-one meetings, and
interactive experiences
in lab and clinical settings
will be provided by an Advisory Committee composed of knowledge leaders in each
of the four aforementioned training areas (Drs. Block, Hausdorff, Wimmer, Yu, Schneider). Additional
interactions are planned with physicians in specialty clinics at Rush (Drs. Arvanitakis, Goldman, Song),
pathologists specializing in motor-related anatomy outside of the brain
(Drs. VanderHorst, Pytel) and
investigators working with a variety of behavior quantification technologies (Drs. Lim, Kaye, Levine). Regular
participation in conferences, seminars, and courses in several key areas rounds out the training plan. Dr.
Dawe’s success in completing the research and career development components w...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9999414
- **Project number:** 5K25AG061254-02
- **Recipient organization:** RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert J Dawe
- **Activity code:** K25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $144,764
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9999414

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9999414, Quantifying Lower Extremity Joint Motion in Community-Dwelling Older Adults to Elucidate its Contributions to Mobility Limitations, Incident Mobility Disability, and Falls (5K25AG061254-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9999414. Licensed CC0.

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