Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias rarely occur on their own. Cerebrovascular injury is common alongside Alzheimer’s disease and can contribute to, or worsen, its progression. Although these two conditions are the most frequent age‑related brain pathologies, there remains a critical need for translational research and multimodal biomarker studies to understand whether shared mechanisms—such as neuroinflammation and neurovascular dysfunction—or distinct biological pathways drive these diseases.
American Indian and Alaska Native communities, as well as Hispanic and Latino communities, have historically been underrepresented in dementia research, even though they experience a disproportionate burden of Alzheimer’s disease and mixed‑etiology dementias. These disparities are likely influenced by unequal social and structural determinants of health. To address this gap, the
This work lays the foundation for more equitable, culturally informed research and advances our understanding of how dementia develops across diverse populations.
We recruit and retain a diverse group of participants across the Alzheimer’s disease and vascular cognitive impairment spectrum, along with age‑matched healthy volunteers. As a newly established center, we focus on enrolling individuals who show early biomarker signs of Alzheimer’s disease or who are at high risk for vascular cognitive impairment, following them over time to understand disease progression. To ensure equal representation, we intentionally recruit American Indian, Hispanic and Latino, and non‑Hispanic white participants in balanced proportions. All participants complete required national assessments along with additional measures unique to our center.
We share clinical information, biological samples, imaging data, and research expertise to support studies in New Mexico and across national research networks. In partnership with the Neuropathology, Imaging, and Fluid Biomarker Cores, we contribute to research on early Alzheimer’s disease and vascular injury by validating imaging‑based and blood‑based biomarkers in American Indian and Hispanic and Latino populations. We also examine early inflammation and neurovascular dysfunction in both human and animal studies. Using biomarkers developed through national vascular‑cognition initiatives, we assess the presence and severity of cerebrovascular injury and investigate how inflammation affects the blood–brain barrier.
We expand our assessment procedures to include sociocultural factors—such as bilingualism, quality of education, healthcare literacy, and access to care—that influence neuropsychological performance and shape risk and resilience in American Indian and Hispanic and Latino communities across New Mexico.
We refine how research results are shared with participants by incorporating culturally tailored communication strategies. This includes assessing participants’ interest in receiving results, understanding the value they place on feedback, and evaluating the effectiveness of different communication approaches. Our goal is to establish best practices that support long‑term brain health across a wide range of literacy levels.
In partnership with the Research Education Component, we help train future researchers and clinicians in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The Clinical Core provides mentorship, clinical research training, access to clinical data, and support for developing research questions. We also offer hands‑on training in assessment and diagnosis through the New Mexico Leading Excellent Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Research program.
