Aims & Cores
In 2018, the Columbia Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Alzheimer’s Disease Disparities (CIRAD) received a 5-year grant from the National Institute of Aging (NIA), which was recently renewed for the period 2023-28. to accelerate research on behavioral, sociocultural, and environmental mechanisms of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) disparities by:
- Facilitating equitable relationships with the community to inform the design of pilot projects.
- Disseminating the center findings among the community and other relevant stakeholders.
- Sharing information about our activities and findings with the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, partner institutions in New York City, NIA, fellow Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) programs, and national and international research forums.
In pursuit of the optimal operation of the center, we have established three standing cores:
Research Education Core
Provides opportunities for mentoring and career development, pilot studies, and interdisciplinary collaboration to early investigators from historically underrepresented backgrounds interested in research in ADRD disparities.
Analysis Core
- Provides technical assistance to our scientists.
- Assists in the production and application of new measures and methods for studying health, social, behavioral, and environmental factors among diverse populations.
- Supports a mentoring method through study grids to be used in the Work-in-Progress (WIP) mentoring seminars, methods internships, and training workshops.
Administrative Core
- Coordinates and integrates all Center functions.
- Provides continuous and rigorous fiscal oversight of the research projects and cores.
- Facilitates interactions between the scientists, the other two cores, and the community.