The Duke Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) is structured to (1) enhance and support research and (2) research career development in aging research through its Core resources. The central theme of our OAIC is to understand and modify the multiple pathways of functional decline. The OAIC is based in the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, an all-university program with strong multidisciplinary affiliated programs such as the Durham VA GRECC, the RAND/Hartford Interdisciplinary Geriatric Research Center, the Duke Institute for Genomic Sciences and Policy, the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the Duke Center for Living, Trajectories of Aging and Care Center, and the Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center. This rich mileu includes 126 faculty as Senior Fellows of the Aging Center and over 21 million dollars of research germane to the goals of the OAIC. The Duke OAIC will support two research cores which have evolved from prior OAIC support: (1) an Analysis Core and (2) a Biological Studies Core. Six externally funded NIH/VA grants, with study aims and study populations that integrate into our thematic focus, will receive support from these cores;with new specific research aims relevant to our Center. The Research Career Development Core will facilitate career development with established post-doctoral Research and Geriatric Training Programs. Subsequent support for career development and pilot projects will be selected on a competitive basis using criteria clearly defined in the OAIC guidelines. The public impact will be a significant advancement in the basic understanding of the mulitple factors that contribute to functional decline, and the enhancement of interventions directed at improving the overall quality of life of older adults.
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