PROJECT SUMMARY
Dementia is the primary cause of disability and dependency worldwide. In the United States, minoritized
populations - including African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives and Hispanic/Latino individuals -
are more likely to develop dementia than non-Latino Whites and Asian Americans. There is a paucity of data
on the impact of lifecourse, biological and structural factors on dementia risk in these underserved populations.
This is in part due to the historic exclusion of these populations from research into ADRDs. The proposed
conference will bring together established and early career researchers to examine these existing disparities
through a health equity lens. To catalyze vital conversations on the topic of disparities in ADRDs, the
Alzheimer’s Association hosted the first 2 Promoting Diverse Perspectives: Addressing Health Disparities
Related to Alzheimer’s and All Dementias conferences in 2021 and 2022. Building on the success of those 2
conferences, the Alzheimer’s Association is proposing three conferences and two workshops spread over a
five-year period under the name, AAIC Advancements: Towards Health Equity in ADRD. The conferences will
typically be two days and the workshops will take place in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association
International conferences held in the United States. At the core of the conference will still be the NIA HDR. To
meet our objectives, the five aims are: 1) Develop and finalize the scientific program and all logistical details for
the conference by working with a diverse group of experts led by PI Dr. Maria Carrillo. 2) Implement three
conferences and workshops over a five-year period entitled “AAIC Advancements: Toward Health Equity in
ADRD”, which will consist of lectures, plenary presentations, panels, poster sessions, networking opportunities
and feedback on the conference. 3) Facilitate the sustainability of the conferences by hosting workshops on
the off years in conjunction with AAIC. 4) Incorporate the perspectives of early career researchers by ensuring
that they are included on the planning committees to assist us in identifying barriers to participation and
retention of these scholars in the ADRD field. 5) Disseminate the proceedings of the conference in peer
reviewed journals which will help keep a record of the advancements being made in the field but also inform
future efforts to help the field move closer to health equity. Results from this conference will include 1)
dissemination of ideas for projects using existing datasets for health equity research in ADRD 2) increased
collaboration between early career and more established investigators 3) skills training in the methods required
to do health equity research in ADRD 4) awareness of barriers faced by early career research to funding
agencies and decision makers.
