
Black adults are underrepresented in Alzheimer’s disease research, even though they are more likely to develop the disease. The Aging Brain Cohort Study Dedicated to Diversity will seek to enroll more Black participants like Jay Austin (above), to combat this disparity. Austin cited this disparity as his motivation for participating in research.
Black adults are more likely than other groups to develop Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders but are poorly represented in Alzheimer’s disease research, including recent clinical trials. This health disparity illustrates how Black individuals can benefit from advances in the field if they had access.
This week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement (CURE) program announced it will award a $3.5 million grant to Penn Memory Center (PMC) researchers and community partners to address the underrepresentation of Black adults in Alzheimer’s disease research. The grant supports the Aging Brain Cohort Dedicated to Diversity (ABCD2) study, a research and training initiative led by David Wolk, MD, a professor of Neurology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Wolk is also the incoming director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and PMC co-director.