November 2016 Issue/Volume 10, Number 11
A PUBLICATION OF THE UNIV. OF UTAH CENTER ON AGING
Upcoming 2017 RFP Call for Pilot Grants
Plan for the Request for Proposals call to be issued in mid December. The Center on Aging sponsors an annual pilot grant program to promote the development of aging research at the University of Utah. The goal of this program is to encourage new investigator development, attract established investigators to aging research and stimulate interdisciplinary research collaborations ultimately leading to new externally funded research.
Utah Commission on Aging
Becky Kapp, the Director of Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services and our Commission
Chair, has officially retired on November 16, 2016. Her resignation from the Commission
as a member and Chair will be effective the same date as her official retirement.
We wish her much health and happiness as she transitions into this next chapter of
her life.
Member Spotlight
Below is the last of our 2016 CoA Pilot Awardees:
Heather Hayes, DPT, PhD has both a clinical and research interest in individuals with neurologic illness,
primarily stroke. Heather has spent her clinical time creating unique models of care
at the University of Utah for individuals with stroke, including a 10-day intensive
program for stroke survivors promoting functional recovery, and an exercise program
for stroke survivors allowing for long term improved health. Her passion for caring
for stroke survivors has extended into her research where she seeks to improve the
processes of care for stroke survivors. This includes improving the process from the
acute care hospital through a rehabilitation setting, into an outpatient setting and
home. This has led to my current grant funding request with the Center on Aging to
identify the concerns of elder caregivers of stroke survivors, after they have completed
all of their therapies and return to home. Families and caregivers of stroke survivors
are often underserved in our healthcare system and this research seeks to first identify
the concerns of elder caregivers of stroke survivors. My future research seeks to
understand the needs of both stroke survivors and their caregivers across the continuum
of care and to identify areas healthcare can improve.
Upcoming Conference
Center on Aging 11th Annual Research Retreat 2017
HOLD the DATE
April 27 - April 28, 2016
More Information - coming soon
Publication Info
A team funded by a grant from the DW Reynolds Foundation (PI Mark Supiano) worked to understand an important aspect of experience for medical residents – attitudes toward quality improvement. Quality Improvement (QI) activities support the continuous transformation of the healthcare system through study. The research team talked with trainees using a focus group approach, seeking trainee experiences of participation in QI efforts at University of Utah. The research time - Jorie Butler, Katherine Anderson, Mark Supiano, and Charlene Weir conducted a qualitative analysis of the focus group transcripts. The results demonstrated that residents found QI sometimes confusing, difficult to prioritize, and often felt that they were not a valued part of the QI process. In addition, the results showed that residents thought QI worked best when a QI team was “on the same page”. You can read the results in the journal Academic Medicine (Article Link) currently available online. The paper title is ““It feels like a lot of extra work”: Resident Attitudes about Quality Improvement and Implications for an Effective Learning Healthcare System”.
Funding Announcements
The recent increase in the NIH budget carried over to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), with the caveat that the majority of the NIA increase be devoted to research related to Alzheimer’s Disease. Given this emphasis, targeting your research as it may pertain to AD seems prudent. To that end, these recent funding announcements may be of interest to you.
- Role of Age-Associated Metabolic Changes in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) (R01) (PAR-17-031) Application Receipt/Submission Date(s): Standard dates apply
- Translational Bioinformatics Approaches to Advance Drug Repositioning and Combination Therapy Development for Alzheimers Disease (R01) (PAR-17-032) Application Receipt/Submission Date(s): Standard dates apply
- Clarifying the Relationship between Delirium and Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias (R21/R33) (PAR-17-037) and (R01) (PAR-17-038) Application Receipt/Submission Date(s): Standard dates apply
- Exosomes: From Biogenesis and Secretion to the Early Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease (R01) (RFA-AG-17-051) Application Receipt Date(s): February 3, 2017
- Understanding the Effects of ApoE2 on the Interaction between Aging and Alzheimers Disease (R01) (RFA-AG-17-056) Application Receipt Date(s): February 10, 2017
- Multimorbidity in Alzheimers Disease Impacts Choice of Ancillary Treatments (R21/R33) (RFA-AG-17-059) and (R33) (RFA-AG-17-060) Application Receipt Date(s): January 12, 2017
- Integrative Research to Understand the Impact of Sex Differences on the Molecular Determinants of AD Risk and Responsiveness to Treatment (R01) (PAR-17-033) Application Receipt/Submission Date(s): Standard dates apply
Member Updates/Center on Aging Membership Directory
As a mostly virtual Center, we depend on the accuracy and timeliness of our Web presence. Center members are urged to review and update their membership directory information. Please view your information on the Center’s Web site. Send any updates or requests for changes to Heather at heather.podolan@hsc.utah.edu or aging.utah.edu.
For past issues, please visit our NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES PAGE.
About our Logo
The bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva) - the earth’s oldest inhabitant with a
life span of almost 5,000 years - is found only in Utah and five other western states.
Its extraordinary longevity and ability to adapt and survive in extremely harsh environmental
conditions above 10,000 feet embodies the investigative spirit and mission of the
Utah Center on Aging.
Best,
Mark A. Supiano, MD
Executive Director - Center on Aging