The bi-institutional Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) of Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University (BGSM/WFU) and the University of Tennessee-Memphis (UTM) will build upon a tradition of collaborative between the lead investigators at these academic medical centers in the prevention and management of major aging-related chronic diseases and syndromes that jeopardize function as well as longevity in older persons. The administrative and coordinating centers will be based at BGSM/WFU but all of the following activities will take place at both institutions. Specific projects include: 1. One formal intervention study: Therapeutic Exercise for Knee Osteoarthritis 2. Two intervention development studies: a. Osteoporosis: Pharmacologic and Non-pharmacologic interventions b. Trial of Non-Pharmacologic Interventions for Mild Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly (TONE) 3. Research development core: supporting two junior faculty physician investigators who will participate in these intervention trials and two one-year intervention-related pilot studies 4. Three Research Resource Cores a.Recruitment (and recruitment research) b.Biostatistics c.Health quality of life/cost effectiveness 5. Demonstration and Dissemination Core 6. Leadership/Administrative Core These initiatives will build upon strong commitments and investments in developing research faculty and programs in gerontology and geriatrics and the public health sciences at both institutions. Evidence of these commitments and investments include incorporation of a formal course in gerontology and geriatrics in the required undergraduate medical curriculum at BGSM/WFU, required rotations in geriatrics in residences in internal medicine and family medicine at BGSM/WFU, accredited, well-subscribed, and productive geriatric fellowship training programs at both institutions, and a well-developed junior faculty development program at BGSM/WFU. The proposed Pepper OAIC will be fully integrated into these programs consistent with the philosophical basis of program development in gerontology and geriatrics at BGSM/WFU: to imbed these disciplines in the institutional DNA, at it were, to assure their quality, stability and longevity.
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