The Native Elder Research Center (NERC) will be organized in terms of four core components: an Administrative Core (Core A), a Community Liaison Core (Core B), an Investigator Development Core (Core C), and a Measurement Core (Core D). Dedra Buchwald, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UCHSC, is a Co-Principal Investigator and will lead the Investigator Development Core. Dr. Buchwald, an internist with extensive medical research, education, and clinical experience in different cultural settings, including AIs, has been honored on several occasions for her exemplary contribution to the career development of young investigators in the health sciences. Under her direction, the investigator Development Core will weave together didactic, experiential, and mentored instruction as well as specialized seminars to equip the Native Investigators targeted here to function as independent scientists working at the inerface of aging, health, and culture, with special emphasis on native elders. this blend of activities will include: a) an introductory NERC mini-course entitled """"""""Introduction to Native Aging and Health and Health Status; b) Pilot Studies; c) a series of NERC meetings that varies in timing and intensity as required to design and conduct the Pilot Studies; d) continuous interaction with mentors drawn from the core and affiliated faculty; e) a Minority Faculty Career Development Seminar sponsored by the American Association of Medical Colleges; f) the national Institute on Aging Summer Institute on Aging Research, and other seminars and workshops as relevant, available, or necessary to specific issues or Pilot Studies. Within this framework, Native Investigators will be encouraged to pursue specific lines of inquiry that are personally as well as programmatically important, that pertain to health promotion, illness prevention, and clinical practice among native elders, and that will yield research capable of securing external scholarship. Considerable thought was given to the particular approach to career development contained herein, resulting in several key decisions. This program proposes to recruit three (3) post-doctoral level Native Investigators form the social, behavioral, and health sciences into each of two 2-year developmental cycles and three additional native Investigators into one 1- year developmental cycle at the close of NERC support, resulting in nine (9) total scholars who will be aided in their pursuit of careers as independent scientists at the interface of aging, health, and culture.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 43 publications
