Resource Center for Alzheimers and Dementia Research in Asian and Pacific Americans (RCASIA)
Rutgers University
Asian Americans represent the fastest growing racial group in the US, with those 65 years of age or older growing by more than 70% in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY, NJ, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (NYC/NJ) area since 2012. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) are the fastest growing causes of death in older Asian Americans, but sociocultural and methodological issues likely underestimate the prevalence and impact of AD/ADRD.
While cohort studies in Asia are starting to provide some insight into Asian American brain health, there exist obvious knowledge gaps associated with immigration history/experience, acculturation, stigma, environmental influences, and – especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began – anti-Asian racism. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are also historically included with Asian Americans, are subject to their own health inequities, and are often mistaken victims of anti-Asian racism. As one of the most heterogeneous groups in the US, Asian and Pacific Americans (APAs) come from more than 50 nations and territories representing 60% of the world’s population. However, older APAs are infamously “missing” in national surveys and datasets due to limited outreach and language barriers; inconsistently grouped under one umbrella or disaggregated into subgroups (eg, Chinese vs East Asian); and analyzed only according to US-based behavior, sociocultural, and system level factors without considering similar country-of-origin factors. These practices have together limited the generalizability of findings from studies focused on older APAs as well as their broader impact on APA brain health.
The NYC/NJ-based Rutgers-NYU Resource Center on Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research in Asian & Pacific Americans (RCASIA) has the mission of advancing APA AD/ADRD-related brain health through developing the next generation of Scientists through innovative models of mentoring Pods and data sharing across micro-cohort.
Asian Americans represent the fastest growing racial group in the US, with those 65 years of age or older growing by more than 70% in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY, NJ, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (NYC/NJ) area since 2012. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) are the fastest growing causes of death in older Asian Americans, but sociocultural and methodological issues likely underestimate the prevalence and impact of AD/ADRD.
While cohort studies in Asia are starting to provide some insight into Asian American brain health, there exist obvious knowledge gaps associated with immigration history/experience, acculturation, stigma, environmental influences, and – especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began – anti-Asian racism. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are also historically included with Asian Americans, are subject to their own health inequities, and are often mistaken victims of anti-Asian racism. As one of the most heterogeneous groups in the US, Asian and Pacific Americans (APAs) come from more than 50 nations and territories representing 60% of the world’s population. However, older APAs are infamously “missing” in national surveys and datasets due to limited outreach and language barriers; inconsistently grouped under one umbrella or disaggregated into subgroups (eg, Chinese vs East Asian); and analyzed only according to US-based behavior, sociocultural, and system level factors without considering similar country-of-origin factors. These practices have together limited the generalizability of findings from studies focused on older APAs as well as their broader impact on APA brain health.
The NYC/NJ-based Rutgers-NYU Resource Center on Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research in Asian & Pacific Americans (RCASIA) has the mission of advancing APA AD/ADRD-related brain health through developing the next generation of Scientists through innovative models of mentoring Pods and data sharing across micro-cohort.
Our Pilot Process
- Once the RCASIA Executive Committee agrees with the call for pilots write up, they all share it with their networks. This includes: the communications directors at our different institutions and contacts at minority servings institutions (MSI’s)
- If we have not received an acceptable number of applications by the deadline, we extend the deadline and let anybody interested know. Once we have received an acceptable number of applications, we assign 3 – 4 different reviewers to an application (after assuring there is not conflict of interest).
- The pilot review form is based on NIH’s reviewing steps. All reviewers are given 2 – 3 weeks to review all applications and submit these forms. All scores are then calculated and comments are put together for discussion at the next RCASIA Executive Committee meeting. If the committee has any questions/comments, we send them to the applicant for a resubmission.
- If the resubmission is acceptable – the committee has a final discussion and the PI’s make the final decision.
- The final 4 applications are submitted to NIH for approval. Once they are approved, RCASIA sends them the Notice of Award and requests for them to submit their IRB approval.
Contact
Email: rcasia@nullifh.rutgers.edu