Administrative Core

ADMINISTRATIVE CORE: ABSTRACT
Natives Engaged in Alzheimer’s Research (NEAR) will be organized into an Administrative Core, a Recruitment
and Engagement Core, a Biospecimen Core, a Research Methods Core, and 3 Research Projects. We will also
incorporate a nationwide network of 8 Satellite Centers led by American Indian/Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander investigators who will assist with outreach, recruitment, and biospecimen collection.
The contact Principal Investigator and Administrative Core Leader of NEAR, Dedra Buchwald, MD, Professor of
Medicine at Washington State University, is widely recognized for her research, experience, and leadership in
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in Native communities, and for her ongoing efforts to eliminate health
disparities. She is the Founding Director of Partnerships for Native Health, a program of culturally appropriate
research that has established 150+ partnerships with various Native entities in a 15-state region, including tribes,
Indian health facilities, and organizations serving American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and
Pacific islanders. Dr. Buchwald will be joined by James Galvin, MD, MPH, Professor, University of Miami, who
will serve as the Scientific Director of NEAR and as a Multiple Principal Investigator and by John Kauwe, PhD,
who will also serve as a Multiple Principal Investigator and as Co-Leader of the Biospecimen Core. This Core
will integrate the contributions of 6 academic partner institutions, all of which have experience collaborating with
American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and other underrepresented minority
populations, and with strengths in administration, research methods, scholarship, community-informed research,
field work, and dissemination. Notably, our 3 Research Projects include 11 tribes, 7 urban Indian programs,
an AI-owned small business, and 5 Native Hawaiian-serving community organizations. Our Specific Aims
are to: 1) Support logistical and field operations across academic sites, including coordination of meetings and
travel, and facilitate interactions with the Satellite Centers; 2) Oversee a plan for management, organization, and
communication that stimulates, coordinates, integrates, and monitors activities and functions across and among
all NEAR Research Projects, Cores, faculty, and institutions; 3) Supervise and facilitate implementation of key
strategic decisions, research regulatory processes, and data sharing plans; 4) Collaborate on program planning,
review, and evaluation to ensure that NEAR achieves its goals and maintains its focus on population-based
research in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias-related health disparities; and 5) Convene the Executive
Committee, the External Advisory Committee, the Publications and Presentations Committee, the Data Safety
and Monitoring Board, and the Community Action Board. The latter will include diverse stakeholders and guide
researchers on local cultural concerns and solutions. In summary, the Administrative Core will manage,
coordinate, and supervise the entire range of activities; monitor progress; ensure that component plans are
implemented; and verify that all NEAR-supported research is carried out in compliance with Federal regulations
and policies. Together, NEAR committees and activities will ensure the successful implementation of all efforts.

Grant Number: 5P01AG066584-05
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: DEDRA BUCHWALD