RCMAR National Coordinating Center
We are the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) National Coordinating Center, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and housed at the Gerontological Society of America. We serve as a resource for RCMAR center leaders, scientists and staff, and support NIA’s overall goal of increasing the diversity of the aging research workforce
About Us
Learn more about what we do at the RCMAR National Coordinating Center
The Centers
Learn more about our 18 RCMAR sites across the country.
Opportunities & Resources
Learn about becoming a RCMAR Scientist and obtaining pilot funding. Connect with current and former RCMAR Scientists.
Latest News
RCMAR Scientists Present at AAIC
Learn more about the RCMAR Scientists who will be presenting at AAIC in Philadelphia this year!
Developing an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan for Behavioral and Social Research
On June 15, Rebecca Krupenevich, PhD and James McNally, PhD presented a discussion on the new NIH Data Management Sharing (DMS) Policy. In this presentation, attendees learned more about how to comply with the policy, how to handle qualitative data and how to address concerns from researchers involved with community-based/participatory research. This webinar was…
AGING RESEARCH: OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
On December 9, Helen Lamont and Amanda cash presented a discussion on the need for gerontologists in federal government positions. In this presentation attendees learned more about how to apply research skills to policy positions, and heard about career opportunities outside of academia. Speakers: Helen Lamont, Ph.D. Director, Division of Disability & Aging Policy…
Special Issue: Aging, Health, and Health Equity for Older Adults of Color: A Tribute to Dr. Steven P. Wallace
The articles published in this special issue of the Journal of Aging and Health are written by students, mentees, colleagues, and friends of Steven P. Wallace, PhD. They exemplify the broad and wide reach he had in the aging field, and his deep interest in the economic, health, and overall well-being of diverse older…
Introduction to Mediation and Moderation Concepts and Methods
On November 17, Tor Neilands, PhD presented in a webinar intended to move the understanding of how to introduce three conceptual approaches to mediation analysis: the causal steps method popularized by the seminal 1986 publication of Baron and Kenny, mediation analysis conducted via parametric structural equation modeling (SEM), and causal mediation analysis. Each of…
NIA mechanisms for junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows
NIA offers a variety of mechanisms specifically for junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows to advance their research and career training in aging. These include the K-series Research Career Development Awards (e.g., K01, K08, K23). Learn more.
The Dementia Palliative Care Clinical Trials Training Program
This 10-month-long Program includes a combination of webinars, small group sessions, and a 5-day in-person Institute. The Institute is scheduled for January 9 – 13, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It is critical that the candidate be able to attend the Institute in its entirety. To be eligible, participants must be US citizens,…
Lived Experience Panel on research study outcomes & ethics in 2 reports
Reports from the first two series of meetings with the IMPACT Lived Experience Panel (LEP) are now available on the IMPACT website. The two reports share highlights and insights gained during meetings with the LEP facilitated by IMPACT’s Patient Caregiver Relevant Outcomes Core and the Ethics and Regulation Core in the first cycle of the Lived Experience Panel. The LEP reflects a…
Special Issue in Honor of the Life and Legacy of James S. Jackson
This special issue of the Journal of Aging and Health honors the memory of James Jackson by elevating his many research contributions to the physical and mental health of older Black Americans. The articles focus on the central problems and questions that James Jackson addressed throughout his illustrious career.
2022 RCMAR Annual Meeting
The 2022 Virtual RCMAR Annual Meeting is happening March 31 – April 1. Join our asynchronous sessions by viewing our Twitter posters #RCMARPosters and viewing our recorded Completed Words on YouTube. Want to join our live sessions? Download the agenda here.Register here.
RCMAR CHIME Call for Pilot Project Proposals
The UCLA RCMAR/CHIME and UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) announce their call for pilot proposals request for applications. Support will be given to pilot research projects that are consistent with the goal of RCMAR/CHIME. Ideally, pilot projects should demonstrate effective inter-institutional and/or academic-community partnerships and lead to the publication of at least…
NIH CEAL Against COVID-19 Disparities Toolkit
The Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities works to promote awareness and education research on COVID-19, especially among African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and American Indian communities by disseminating trustworthy information in the form of FAQ’s, fact sheets and other resources. CEAL is an NIH-wide effort led by the National Institute on Minority Health and…
NIA/RCMAR Symposium at APHA (Oct 25): Causes and Consequences of Health Disparities
Dr. Nadereh Pourat, PhD, co-Director of the Coordinating Center along with Dr. Patricia Jones, NIA Director of the Office of Special Populations will facilitate a RCMAR symposium at this year’s APHA annual meeting that will include presentations from RCMAR scientists from across the country. The scientists Drs. Juan Banda, Courtney S. Thomas, Carrie Nieman,…
NIA IMPACT’ Research Funding Opportunity
The NIA Imbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory announces a Request for Applications for the Pilot Grants Program Cycle 3B. In this cycle, the IMPACT Collaboratory will fund up to five one-year awards for pilot pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) that test non-pharmacological interventions embedded in health care…
RCMAR Webinar Recording (June 11th): Best Practices for Using and Obtaining Diversity Supplements
NIA’s Diversity Supplement program supports the development of eligible trainee-candidates who seek independent careers in aging and geriatrics research and meet NIA’s goal to enhance diversity in the biomedical workforce. On June 11th, Dr. Maria G. Carranza presented best practices for application preparation and submission, and discussed review and funding policies. View webinar recording
Rest in Power Steven P. Wallace
The RCMAR National Coordinating Center is deeply saddened to announce the sudden passing of Steven P. Wallace, PhD on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Wallace was the RCMAR Coordinating Center Director since 2002 and a national leader in the areas of minority aging research. He was a tireless champion for…
(RCMAR Webinar Recording) Imposter Thoughts: Let’s Talk About Them
On May 14th, Drs. Ericka Boone and Roland J. Thorpe, Jr. presented their perspectives on imposter syndrome, including how systemic/structural issues play a role in impostor thoughts. RCMAR scientists, Drs. Brandon Brown and Mirella Diaz-Santos served as panelists, sharing their experiences with imposter syndrome. Watch the webinar recording
Webinar Recording
The NIA Health Disparities Research Framework outlines four key levels of analysis related to disparities research. Included in these are environmental and sociocultural factors. On April 23rd, Drs. Patricia Jones, Amy Kind and Jennifer Ailshire showcased two tools researchers can use for understanding contextual factors that affect the health of diverse older adults. Watch…
NIH Funding Opportunity PA-20-172
Long-Term Effects of Disasters on Health Care Systems Serving Health Disparity Populations (R01). PA-20-172
Webinar Recording: Planning for Compliance with CONSORT Requirements in Clinical Trials
The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) were developed to insure consistent and comprehensive reporting of data from clinical trials. On February 19th, Nina Harawa, PhD, MPH, reviewed those standards in order to aid investigators in setting up their data collection protocols in a manner that will ensure future compliance with these standards.
Scientist Spotlights
Scientist Highlight: Christy Erving, PhD (MCUAAAR Scientist)
In this week’s Scientist Highlights, we feature Christy Erving, PhD, who became a MCUAAAR Scientist in 2021. Dr. Erving’s RCMAR pilot project is “Multiple Sources of Psychosocial Stress and Mental Health among Black Women across the Life Course”. Her primary research areas explore how race, ethnicity, gender, and immigrant status intersect to produce health differentials;…
Scientist Highlight: Roger Wong, PhD, MPH, MSW (JHAD RCMAR Scientist)
In this week’s Scientist Highlights, we feature Roger Wong, PhD, MPH, MSW, who became a JHAD RCMAR Scientist in 2021. Dr. Wong’s RCMAR pilot project is “Mediating and Moderating Effects of Modifiable Lifestyle Behaviors on Dementia Risk Among White and Hispanic Older Adults”. His research interests include racial and ethnic disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and…
Scientist Highlight: Kacie Deters, PhD (San Diego AD-RCMAR Scientist)
In this week’s Scientist Highlights, we feature Kacie Deters, PhD, who became a San Diego AD-RCMAR Scientist in 2021. Dr. Deters’ RCMAR pilot project is “Race- and sex-based disparities in cognitive and genetic Alzheimer’s disease risk factors”. Her research focuses on ethnic and racial disparities in predictors (genetic; neuroimaging; neuropsychological assessments; social/environmental factors) for cognitive…
Scientist Highlight: Michael Oliver, PhD (CIRAD Scientist)
In this week’s Scientist Highlights, we feature Michael Oliver, PhD, who became a CIRAD Scientist in 2021. Dr. Oliver’s RCMAR pilot project is “Differential Effects of Tau Pathology and Dysautonomia in Alzheimer’s Disease”. Dr. Oliver’s research broadly focuses on understanding the effects that differences in neurocognitive function have on behavior and cognitive performance in young,…
Scientist Highlight: Lin Jiang, PhD (UTRGV-AD RCMAR Scientist)
In this week’s Scientist Highlights, we feature Lin Jiang, PhD, who became a UTRGV-AD RCMAR Scientist in 2021. Dr. Jiang’s RCMAR pilot project is “Decreasing social isolation among Mexican American informal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease during the COVID-19 era: The utilization of technology”. Her research interest focuses on gerontology and technology. Learn more…
Scientist Highlight: Miao Li, PhD (CCADMR Scientist)
In this week’s Scientist Highlights, we feature Miao Li, PhD, who became a CCADMR Scientist in 2021. Dr. Li’s RCMAR pilot project is “Childhood Adversities, Race, and Late-life Cognition: Socio-behavioral Pathways”. Dr. Li’s research focuses on how socio-environmental factors affect health and health behaviors over the life course and across generations. His studies pursue an…
Scientist Highlight: Linda Sayed, PhD (MCCFAD Scientist)
In this week’s Scientist Highlights, we feature Linda Sayed, PhD, who became a MCCFAD Scientist in 2021. Dr. Sayed’s RCMAR pilot project is “The Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 on Aging Arab Americans”. Her research focuses on the politics of citizenship as it relates to marginalized communities, refugee rights, health care accessibility, and systems of national…
Scientist Highlight: Azizi Seixas, PhD (USC AD RCMAR Scientist)
In this week’s Scientist Highlights, we feature Azizi Seixas, PhD, who became a USC AD RCMAR Scientist in 2021. Dr. Seixas’ RCMAR pilot project is “Modeling and Combating Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Through Sleep and Exercise Among Racial Ethnic Minorities (M-CASE)”. Dr. Seixas’ research broadly focuses on two areas: 1) biological, behavioral, clinical, environmental, and psychosocial…
Scientist Highlight: Courtney Lee, MD, MPH (CICADA Scientist)
In this week’s Scientist Highlights, we feature Courtney Lee, MD, MPH, who became a CICADA Scientist in 2021. Dr. Lee’s RCMAR pilot project is “Impact of the Caregiver Advice, Record, Enable (CARE) Act on Patient Experience and Readmissions at US Hospitals”. Dr. Lee’s research interests are at the intersections of health disparities, inpatient care utilization,…
Scientist Highlight: Patrik Johansson, MD, MPH (NAD RCMAR Scientist)
In this week’s Scientist Highlights, we feature Patrik Johansson, MD, MPH, who became a NAD RCMAR Scientist in 2020. Dr. Johansson’s RCMAR pilot project is “Assessing Cognitive Function among Elders and Maximizing Participation Among Northeastern Tribal Communities in Alzheimer’s Disease-related Research”. Dr. Johansson’s pilot project seeks to better understand cognitive function of and barriers and…