Wabanaki Native American Research Center for Health (Wabanaki NARCH)

Status: Current

Grant Start: 09/01/2021

Grant End: 08/31/2025

This center grant is a research partnership with Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness in Bangor, Maine. The Wabanaki Native American Research Center for Health aims to estimate the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and mild cognitive impairment among Wabanaki Tribal citizens aged 55 and older to determine current and future economic costs associated with these conditions. It additionally supports the development of a year-long tailored public health research methods course and student internships, as well as the creation of a Tribal Research Review Board (TRRB) to regulate scientific endeavors and build research capacity. The Wabanaki Native American Research Center for Health is the the first population-based study designed to systematically characterize Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias among American Indian communities in the eastern U.S. This effort is a partnership between Washington State University, the University of Miami, and Wabanaki Public Health, a Tribally founded and directed public health district serving all four federally recognized Tribes in Maine (collectively known as the Wabanaki Tribes).

Partners

  • Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness
  • Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians
  • Mi'qmak Nation
  • Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk
  • Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipyaik
  • Penobscot Nation
  • Aroostook Band of Micmacs

Funding Sponsors

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Communities Involved

  • Tribal communities
  • Rural communities

Study Locations

  • Maine

Study Type

  • Community based participatory research
  • Population-based epidemiologic study
  • Case-control validation study

Study Characteristics

  • Ages 50 plus

IREACH Programs

Principal Investigator(s)

Team Member(s)

Heath Research Initiatives

  • American Indian and Alaska Native Health
  • Rural Health

Focus Areas

  • Aging
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Health disparities

Associated Projects