The Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core works to ensure Alzheimer’s disease research in New Mexico reflects the communities most affected, including rural populations, Hispanic and Latino families, and American Indian Nations, by building long‑term, respectful partnerships. Rather than relying on one‑time outreach, the core collaborates closely with community leaders, caregivers, and individuals living with dementia to understand community priorities and concerns, fostering trust and creating a strong foundation for meaningful and sustained participation in research.
The New Mexico Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center is dedicated to understanding how vascular and inflammatory factors contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and progressive cerebrovascular disease in underrepresented communities across the state. Many individuals in these communities are rural‑dwelling older adults who identify as Hispanic or Latino and American Indian.
There is both a scientific and ethical need to improve our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in these populations. Yet many barriers limit participation, including cultural beliefs about illness, mistrust of medical and academic institutions, research materials that do not reflect community values, and a lack of culturally informed research staff.
New Mexico is uniquely positioned to address these challenges. It is one of the most sparsely populated states, has the highest proportion of Hispanic or Latino residents in the country, and is home
to twenty‑three federally recognized American Indian tribes. The state is also aging rapidly, with a growing percentage of residents aged sixty and older.
To ensure meaningful representation of rural, Hispanic or Latino, and American Indian communities, traditional recruitment and occasional outreach are not enough. The center is committed instead to intentional, ongoing, and bidirectional engagement with community leaders and members.
Both the Administrative Core and the Overall Core emphasize this shift in approach:
The new Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core supports these goals by working closely with stakeholders at multiple levels to reduce disparities in Alzheimer’s disease research. Through sustained partnership, cultural humility, and community‑driven approaches, this core ensures that the voices and experiences of underrepresented groups shape the future of dementia research and care in New Mexico.
Aim 1: Launch new engagement activities to better understand the needs, strengths, and priorities of people living with dementia, caregivers, and community stakeholders across New Mexico.
Through tribal and community advisory councils, statewide listening sessions, and shared learning with community partners, this aim builds respectful, reciprocal relationships that guide all public‑facing activities across the Center, including outreach, clinical research, and education.
Aim 2: Strengthen trust and goodwill by responding directly to community‑identified needs.
Activities include sharing information in accessible community settings, hosting cognitive, language, and hearing screening events, connecting families to resources and services, and launching a community grants program. These efforts support sustainable, trust‑based relationships throughout the state.
Aim 3: Maintain successful outreach efforts while developing new activities aligned with community priorities.
This includes sharing knowledge through digital, social, print, and creative media; educating frontline professionals through the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) platform; and offering support and enrichment opportunities for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Together, these activities promote dementia‑friendly communities statewide.
Aim 4: Facilitate recruitment and retention of diverse participants across all stages of cognitive change.
In collaboration with the Clinical Core, this aim includes refining recruitment messages with advisory board input, expanding a hub‑and‑spoke network of outreach specialists, and growing the participant registry. These efforts ensure research approaches are aligned with the values, needs, and comfort levels of New Mexico’s diverse communities.
