The Columbia Center for the Active Live Expectancy (CALME) is the RCMAR at our site. The goal of the CALME is to foster the expansion of minority aging research, the mentoring of minority investigators, and the dissemination of research information, with the objective of reducing health status differentials between minority and non-minority elders. In order to achieve this goal, this competing continuation application proposes to establish six cores: Core I - Administrative; Core II - Community Liaison; Core III - Investigator Development; Core IV - Measurement; Core V - Methods and Data; Core VI- Coordinating Center. The CALME is located in northern Manhattan in New York City, areas of high minority population density and wide health disparities. This proposal involves continued collaboration with experienced researchers at the Columbia University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, with investigators leading other NIH-supported community-oriented research programs at Columbia University, and with researchers at the Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale, NY. These community oriented research programs include studies directed at Alzheimer's disease and other causes of dementia, stroke, cardiovascular disease, colorectal and breast cancer, and the use of home telemedicine to manage diabetes in older patients. During the first five years of funding, the CALME functioned effectively to provide oversight, internal coordination, and interaction with outside agencies and organizations (Core I); to disseminate health and research information, to interact with community-based organizations, and to promote participation in community-oriented research (Core II); to identify and mentor 18 pilot grant awardees (20 separate awards) leading to a large number of publications and presentations as well as three awardees who now have independent federal grant support (Core III); to provide expertise in measurement of geriatric health outcomes (Core IV); and to give assistance in design, statistical methods, and data analysis (Core V). This continuation proposal seeks to continue and expand these activities, to increase the CALME's collaborative activities beyond Columbia University, and to contribute to the national effort to reduce health disparities in the elderly.
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