The thematic focus of the proposed exploratory UAB Alzheimer?s Disease Research Center (ADRC) is on Deep South disparities in Alzheimer?s disease. Individuals born in the Deep South (traditionally defined as the five-state region spanning LA, MS, AL, GA, and SC) have high rates of Alzheimer?s disease (AD) and related dementias relative to other regions. The most likely explanation for this observation is that several large populations disparately impacted by AD are concentrated in the Deep South. For example, the region is home to the nation?s largest population identifying as Black or African American, who are estimated to be at as much as double the risk of AD. The Deep South also a very large rural population, with disparities in social determinants of health (income, education, health care access, and related factors) that strongly influence AD risk. Likewise, vascular risks and related medical comorbidities such as diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, and obesity are each most prevalent in the Deep South and associated with AD. Our vision is a future in which these Deep South disparities in AD are eliminated. Realizing this vision requires a deeper understanding of the unique factors driving AD in the region, which is the goal of our center. We have already launched our cores in a pilot phase with institutional support and propose during the P20 phase to consolidate this collaborative team and demonstrate our capacity for outreach, recruitment, enrollment, and data/biospecimen collection from a representative Deep South population, in preparation for a future P30-funded Center. We will build on our initial success in establishing a cohort with substantial inclusion of Black or African American participants, create a second recruitment and evaluation site in western Jefferson County to facilitate minority and rural participation, and generate evidence of our capacity to collect a unique and comprehensive collection of data and biospecimens informative about Deep South disparities in AD.
Alzheimer?s disease is a pressing challenge for our nation and disparately affects diverse populations in the Deep South. The UAB Alzheimer?s Disease Research Center (ADRC) will contribute to the fight against Alzheimer?s disease by accelerating AD research at UAB, across the Deep South, and nationally.
