Project Summary
There is currently no effective methodology for early detection and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in rural
minority older adults, despite their increased risk. The overall objective of this K01 is to propel the development
of Dr. Lisa Wiese as an independent researcher in community based participatory research (CBPR)
interventions that position her for achieving her career goal of empowering these underserved residents to
age-in-place and delay costly institutionalization. Research: The proposed research, Detecting Alzheimer's
Disease and Related Dementias in Rural Underserved Communities through Community Based Participatory
Research adapts Schoenberg’s proven model of faith-based interventions of education, screening, and referral
for rural Appalachian residents (Faith Moves Mountains [FMM] 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016), to a different
population and disease. We will apply the FMM intervention to increase a) AD knowledge and awareness of
benefits of cognitive screening b) cognitive screening frequency among rural, minority and older adults (SA1).
We will assess acceptance of dementia risk disclosure and referral, and evaluate adherence for follow-through
with providers (SA2). We will examine the impact of FMM on local healthcare providers’ rates of AD diagnosis
and treatment of both referred and non-referred patients (SA3). The findings from this study will inform the
discovery of best practices for detection, diagnosis, and early intervention for rural and minority older
populations at risk for AD; two groups vastly underrepresented in AD research. Candidate: Dr. Wiese is in her
fourth year as an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University. Four training goals are designed
to enhance her trajectory toward becoming an independent, successfully funded investigator: 1. Gain expertise
in CBPR for designing and testing a culturally relevant intervention. 2. Enhance skills in developing advanced
statistical models for analyzing intervention research. 3. Expand understanding of state of the science
regarding aging, health disparities, and AD. 4. Develop leadership skills for executing multicenter studies and
mentoring junior researchers. Mentors/Environment: The current career development plan includes
experiential learning with Dr. Galvin (as the primary mentor) in his clinical research setting. It also includes
training in CBPR, learning advanced statistics through completion of well-established academic coursework,
updating knowledge regarding science of aging, disease, and disparities through attendance at National
Institute of Aging and Hartford Institutes, and increasing skills as a leader and scholar through monthly Skype
or face-to-face meetings with the co-mentor Dr. Lingler, and collaborators Drs. Schoenberg and Williams. Dr.
Wiese will continue to receive support from her own institution through internal grants, faculty education, and
travel for networking and scholarship. The Office of Nursing Research and Scholarship, which assisted Dr.
Wiese with successfully securing several previous small grants, including a summer research release, and
multiple publications, has multiple avenues to support junior faculty.