Creating a Black older-adult brain health cohort in Southern California

Feasibility to develop a Black aging cohort in Southern California using SDOH

NIH-funded research University of California-Irvine · NIH-11247916

This project will partner with Black older adults in Los Angeles and Orange Counties to use community input and neighborhood-level social factors to build a group focused on brain health and future Alzheimer’s research.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California-Irvine NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Irvine, United States)
Project IDNIH-11247916 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be invited to help researchers and community leaders understand how social, economic, and neighborhood factors affect brain health and willingness to join research. The team will hold interviews, surveys, community meetings, and form citizen panels and a community equity board made up of local stakeholders. They will use these mixed methods to design culturally aligned outreach and then recruit a Black Aging Cohort in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The goal is to make future Alzheimer’s and dementia studies more inclusive and relevant to Black communities.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are Black older adults (or family/community members interested in brain health) living in Los Angeles County or Orange County who want to help shape research and outreach.

Not a fit: People who are not Black, who live outside Los Angeles or Orange Counties, or who do not want to engage with community-based research are unlikely to benefit from participating.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make it easier for Black older adults to join Alzheimer’s research and trials, improving access to future prevention and treatment efforts.

How similar studies have performed: Community-engagement approaches have improved recruitment of underrepresented groups in other health studies, but a focused Black aging cohort in Southern California is a relatively new and specific effort.

Where this research is happening

Irvine, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Alzheimer's Disease and its related dementiasAlzheimer's disease and related dementiaAlzheimer's disease and related disorders
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.