The overall goals of the Pittsburgh Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center (OAIC), funded since 2004, are to address the critical need to improve mobility, balance and falls risk, both through improved understanding of their causes and through development of preventive and therapeutic interventions. With this renewal we also will extend our work into new and high potential areas and bring several innovations to our activities and Cores.
Specific aims for the next 5 years are to: 1) Promote multidisciplinary research that will elucidate the causes, consequences and management of age- related changes in mobility and balance. 2) Further extend our work into two high potential areas: a) translational investigations to examine interactions between multiple systems at the level of molecules, signaling systems, cells and their organelles, and tissues, as they impact mobility and balance in living organisms, and b) impact on individual older adults of health system, community and long-term care interventions to enhance mobility and balance. 3) Train young investigators from multiple disciplines to become national leaders in age-related mobility and balance problems in a vibrant, collaborative environment and build a translational sciences workforce through collaborative basic and clinical sciences team mentoring. 4) Serve as a champion and invaluable resource for investigators, research programs, institutions, OAICs and the public in the area of mobility and balance in older adults. Our accomplishments and plans build on our fundamental values: 1) a cohesive theme that accommodates multiple approaches and opportunities to address critical gaps in knowledge, 2) a commitment to multidisciplinary research, 3) a stable organization that grows and evolves, and 4) rigorous preparation of future investigators and leaders. To accomplish these aims, our OAIC is built around 7 cores. In addition to the Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC) and a Research Education Component (REC), we have a Pilot and Exploratory Studies Core (PESC) and 4 resource Cores: 1) a Clinical and Populations Outcomes Core (CPOC), 2) an Integrative Systems Core (ISC), 3) a Data Management, Analysis and Informatics Core (DMAIC) and, new for this cycle, a Biology of Mobility and Aging Core (BMAC). In the first year of the renewal, we will support 3 Pepper Scholars, 5 pilot projects, and 4 developmental projects that illustrate the scope and innovation of our work.
Overall Component Project Narrative Mobility and balance disorders are common among the aged and contribute to reduced physical activity, falls, injuries, disability, loss of independence and health care utilization. Our multidisciplinary group of collaborative investigators are dedicated to foster optimal mobility and balance among older Americans, both through improved understanding of their causes and through development of preventive and therapeutic interventions to reduce falls and maintain independence.
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