Health Equity Pilot Awards

Health Equity Pilot Awards Fund Research Projects Focused on Violence Prevention and Caregiver Support

The Office of Health Equity Research’s “Pilot Studies in Health Equity” award supports research in the Office’s key community-identified priority areas: safe and healthy housing, prevention of mental health and substance use disorders, prevention of gun violence, prevention of re-incarceration, and prevention and management of chronic diseases.

This year, the Office of Health Equity Research (OHER), part of the Center for Community Health & Prevention (CCHP) at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is proud to fund two research projects in these critical areas.

“We are excited to offer these awards for the second year and to be able to support such meaningful research that will impact our community for years to come,” said Edith Williams, MS, PhD, director of the CCHP and founding director of OHER.

Intergenerational Mentoring to Promote Healthier and Safer Communities

Violence and the resulting trauma are leading causes of morbidity and mortality across the lifespan, disproportionately impacting under-served, urban communities. For older adults, violence in the community can lead to isolation and loneliness, which are often linked to a decreased quality of life and overall well-being. With funding from the Pilot Study in Health Equity Award, Corey Nichols-Hadeed, JD, principal investigator (PI) and Kimberly Van Orden, PhD (Co-I and mentor), will work to reduce community violence by promoting intergenerational social connection.

Nichols-Hadeed is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry (URSMD) and co-directs both the Firearm Injury Prevention Program and Geriatric Forensic Psychiatry Program. Van Orden leads the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Helping Older People Engage (HOPE) lab, co-directs the Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide, and directs the Department of Psychiatry’s CSPS NRSA T32 fellowship.

Their project, “Intergenerational Mentoring to Promote Healthier & Safer Communities,” is grounded in academic-community partnership, with scientific and clinical expertise in healthy aging, community-partnered research, and community violence prevention. Goals include developing an intergenerational “Community Conversations” program aimed at older adults and youth, creating training manuals and training experiences for older adult mentors, refining curriculum, and piloting the program to examine effectiveness.

The funding provided by OHER will build on existing work supported by a Healthy Longevity Catalyst Award from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM award) and established community partner relationships to ensure sustainability and responsiveness to community needs.

“We are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to continue this work and bring more attention to the importance of healthy aging across the lifespan while addressing the prominent health crisis of community violence,” shared Nichols-Hadeed. “We look forward to being able to share what we learn with our community.”

Building Social Connections for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia from Underserved Communities

The Alzheimer’s Association estimates there are 6.9 million Americans living with dementia in the United States (2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures). The majority of persons with dementia are cared for by unpaid family members. Health inequities and the lack of access to clinical care and support can make caregiving more challenging for Black caregivers from underserved communities. With limited support, these caregivers may experience significant social disconnectedness and loneliness that is often associated with negative physical and mental health.

Sandhya Seshadri, PhD, MA, MS (PI), assistant professor of Neurology and associate director of research in the Neuropalliative Care division of the Department of Neurology, Paula Amina Alio, PhD, (Co-I) professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and associate professor of Clinical Nursing in the School of Nursing, and Benzi M. Kluger, MD, MS, the Julius, Helen and Robert Fine Professor of Neurology (Co-I) will use funds awarded by the OHER Pilot Study, co-funded by the University of Rochester Aging Institute (URAI), to build social connections and decrease social isolation and loneliness among Black caregivers by developing an intervention that is scalable across marginalized Black communities.

The project, “Building Social Connections for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia from Underserved Communities,” aims to:

• Understand the social needs, and experiences of isolation and loneliness among Black caregivers of persons living with dementia.
• Co-develop an intervention, entitled “Congregational Compassionate Care (CCC) for Black caregivers of persons living with dementia.”

Also involved in the research is community partner Reverend Phyllis Jackson, RN, founder of the Interdenominational Health Ministry Coalition. At the community level, faith-based institutions and churches have historically played an important role in addressing public health issues and providing support to Black families. These groups, however, have not been involved in partnerships with researchers in the design and implementation of interventions to support caregivers of persons living with dementia. A large focus of this project will be the collaboration between healthcare researchers and congregations, fostering a sense of ownership of the intervention among community and congregational leaders.

“The Interdenominational Health Ministry is excited to participate in this project,” shared Reverend Jackson. “The more compassionate care we can provide Black and Brown caregivers who are struggling with these issues, the better positioned we are to help them maintain their mind, body, and spirit wellness. This project is ministry in action for us.”

“We are delighted to receive the OHER Pilot Study award,” said Seshadri. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to address the issues of social isolation and loneliness among dementia caregivers in the City of Rochester. By collaborating with Reverend Jackson, we will be best prepared to develop an intervention that meets the needs of these caregivers and well poised to apply for funding for a larger study through the National Institute of Health’s National Institute on Aging.”

“The UR Aging Institute is delighted to partner with the Office of Health Equity Research to fund new research initiatives in support of aging and health equity,” shared Annette (Annie) Medina-Walpole, MD, URAI director and chief of the Division of Geriatrics & Aging.

“Both pilot grants illustrate the importance of social connections in older adults. With the ever-rising number of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, improving social connections and combatting loneliness in caregivers is both timely and critical. Ms. Nichols-Hadeed’s research around building social connections through an intergenerational program to prevent community violence is equally important to URAI and will no doubt have a lasting impact.”

Health Equity Research Core Investigators affiliated with OHER are eligible to apply for these pilot grants. The grant program is currently co-sponsored by OHER, the University of Rochester Aging Institute, and the Environmental Health Science Center/Institute of Human Health and Environment. 

The Pilot Studies in Health Equity award will open again in January 2025. OHER can fund up to five proposals depending on participating co-sponsors and the merit of applications received. Researchers interested in affiliating with OHER are encouraged to contact oher@urmc.rochester.edu.