Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD)
Alzheimer’s T32 Training Program
Trainees appointed in the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) T32 program will gain the knowledge and support necessary to tackle the complexities presented by AD and related neurodegenerative diseases. Upon completion of the program, students will be positioned to make significant scientific advances in the treatment of these devastating disorders.
Why Join the Alzheimer’s T32 Training Program at UF?
We provide comprehensive training, equipping students with the skills needed to function independent investigators. Trainees will be able to examine potential risk factors and co-morbidities and how they may be related to ADRD. Trainees appointed in the ADRD T32 program will also gain the knowledge and support necessary to tackle the complexities presented by AD and related neurodegenerative diseases. Upon completion of the program, students will be positioned to make significant scientific advances in the treatment of these devastating disorders.
About the Program
Clinical and Translational Pre-Doctoral Training in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD)
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) affects over 5 million people in the U.S. and is considered the third-leading cause of death. Alzheimer’s-afflicted individuals suffer profound, progressive memory decline, often accompanied by behavioral and language problems. AD-related care is estimated to cost 250 billion dollars per year and is emotionally devastating to friends and family. Despite more than 100 years of research, there are still no disease-modifying therapies. Alzheimer’s Disease is a complex condition requiring doctors and scientists of many disciplines to unravel its manifold risk factors and comorbidities. It is linked to frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, & Parkinson’s disease-plus disorders. Aging and comorbidities like addiction, hoarding and sleep disturbances, are all implicated in poor outcomes for dementia patients. Understanding connections between AD and other dementias, and the risk factors and comorbidities associated with them, could offer insights into the disease and afford novel targets for patient care.
The training program will provide trainees with a fundamental understanding of:
- Cellular/molecular, circuit and cognitive/behavioral aspects of ADRD
- Core challenges found at the intersection between basic and clinical research
- Aging as a key risk factor for ADRD
- Psychiatric and neurological comorbidities prevalent in ADRD
The training program structure will facilitate these comprehensions by:
- Fostering communication between trainees and mentors with diverse expertise relevant to ADRD
- Providing core training on research methodology, data analysis and transparency in reporting
- Facilitating familiarity with NIA’s large-scale collaborative consortia, such as ADNI, M2OVE AD and AMP-AD, as well as integrating these datasets into individual research programs
- Emphasizing professional development and equipping trainees with fundamental skills and confidence in grant writing, oral and written presentations and networking
- Establishing mentored training enhancement opportunities to lay the foundation for trainees to become scientists conducting informed and creative discovery-based, translational research that will lead to improved outcomes in ADRD
The Clinical and Translational Pre-doctoral Training Program in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) provides comprehensive training to future independent investigators who desire to understand ADRD.
Objectives:
- Prepare students to examine potential risk factors and co-morbidities and how they may be related to ADRD
- Strengthen skills imperative to independent investigators
The program involves a combination of:
- Coursework
- Independent research
- Professional development
- Written proposals
- Continuous mentor feedback
The program provides support to four pre-doctoral students with additional students funded by:
- McKnight Brain Institute
- Age-Related Memory Loss Program
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory
- Departments of Neuroscience
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology
T32 Program Requirements
In addition to all requirements of their individual graduate programs, individuals accepted into this training program must complete the following courses either before joining or while a member of the program:
- GMS 6757 Introduction to ADRD
- Grant Writing (GMS 5905 or equivalent)
- Statistics & Experimental Design (PHC6050, STA6166 or CLP 6527)
- Research Ethics (GMS 7877 or equivalent)
- Seminar (GMS 6792 or equivalent)
The core requirements of the program include the following:
1. Research which is co-mentored by one faculty mentor who is actively engaged in ADRD research and one faculty mentor conducting research in one additional area that is relevant to AD (aging, related neurological or psychiatric co-morbidities)
Trainees will select a secondary mentor from training faculty by April of each new cohort to join their official committees
Integration of faculty member outside of ADRD is flexible but could include:
- complete integration of both co-mentors and trainee into a single dissertation project
- a secondary research project that takes advantage of the second mentor’s research or clinical strengths
- technique-based learning or clinical shadowing
- jointly writing a case history or review article on aging, related neurological or psychiatric co-morbidities and its relevance to ADRD
2. Completion of 8 hours of required coursework as outlined above.
The coursework is intended to add value to the trainee’s experience in the area of ADRD; however, equivalent courses already required by student’s existing graduate requirements will be considered for substitutions. Such requests may be submitted to the T32 Steering Committee for approval.
3. Additional Activities:
- Monthly lunches with Dr. Lewis, Dr. Bizon and Dr. Chakrabarty to discuss professional development and career advancement
- Introduction to large-scale databases including ADNI, AMP-AD, and M2OVE-AD
- Mentored attendance at International ADRD conferences and the annual SfN conference
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