About the pilot projects
The CHECA-based RCMAR Scientist Program consists of cohorts of promising early-career faculty (including non-tenure track) from a variety of backgrounds who are interested in pursuing rigorous behavioral and social science research careers in aging, health variations, and fairness in health outcomes, and Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementia (AD/ADRD). CHECA Scientists are in an early-career stage, defined as pre-tenure and/or not having previously competed successfully as Principal Investigator (PI) for a substantial NIH independent research award (e.g., R01) or equivalent awards.
Understanding Caregiving for Individuals Living With or at Risk of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
Jennifer H. Kwok, PhD, is an assistant professor of health policy and administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. She received her PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and was an NBER Post-Doctoral Fellow in Aging and Health Research during the 2019-2020 academic year.
Dr. Kwok’s research focuses on the roles of providers in healthcare markets, especially in specialties with ongoing provider-patient relationships. She is also interested in household health insurance and medical care decisions; physician behavior; drug innovation and use; and effects of government policies on healthcare disparities.
Preserving function and preventing cognitive decline: Adapting the IPROACTIF (Integrated PRimary care and Occupational therapy for Aging and Chronic disease Treatment for Independence and Functioning).
Dalmina Arias, OTD, OTR/L, is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Applied Health Sciences. Dr. Arias has a comprehensive background working with the aging population as an occupational therapist in inpatient, outpatient, and home settings.
As an educator, Dr. Arias imparts knowledge on foundational occupational therapy concepts, payment systems, policy, advocacy, access, and program development. Committed to improving healthcare outcomes, particularly for individuals facing systemic health challenges, she engages in research focused on evidence-based health promotion interventions that utilize practical and resource-focused approaches, thereby enhancing the delivery of healthcare services.
Dr. Arias is inspired by her parents’ experiences navigating the healthcare system as they aged in the United States. This personal connection drives her interest in studying the various factors that shape aging experiences and health outcomes. Through her firsthand experience supporting aging family members, she has gained insight into the challenges older adults face as they grow older in the U.S.
Dr. Arias’ career focuses on researching practical and contextually relevant methods to support functional independence and cognitive health in aging populations. She aims to develop evidence-based interventions that address health challenges among older adults and their families. Committed to improving healthcare access and outcomes, Dr. Arias strives to make lasting, meaningful contributions through her research and initiatives.
Examining the Role of Transnationalism in Caregiving for Nigerian Immigrants with Dementia
Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts, PhD, is a clinical associate professor of community health sciences at the UIC School of Public Health. He teaches and conducts research on health behaviors, health outcomes, and challenges related to healthcare access. His research focuses on health and the development of cross-border connections among Black immigrants.
He received his undergraduate and doctorate degrees in community health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He continued his postdoctoral training at the University of Florida until 2018. A husband and father of three, he is also a very passionate Chicago sports fan.
Environmental contaminants and early pathological signs of Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged and older Adults.
Dr. Julia Anglen Bauer studies how environmental exposures impact neurological outcomes across the life course. Her work spans investigating chemical exposures during pregnancy and child brain development, to mid-life exposures and risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias in later life.
Dr. Bauer’s mission is to study these associations in communities that are disproportionately affected by environmental pollution, or individuals who are at higher risk of disease, or are at an age of heightened susceptibility to exposure. Her work includes using environmental mixtures statistical methods and molecular biomarkers of environmental exposure.
Identifying barriers to mobile ICT use in older adults with subjective cognitive complaints
Debaleena Chattopadhyay, PhD, is a computer scientist turned human-computer interaction researcher. She is an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Engineering. She received her Ph.D. in human-computer interaction from Indiana University and an MS in computer science from Stony Brook University.
Dr. Chattopadhyay is studying how to enable continual digital inclusion of older adults. As part of her community-based participatory research, she regularly organizes community events for older adults to teach digital literacy skills and to learn about what barriers older adults face during their tech use. She believes good design creates better experiences that can ultimately change people’s behavior.
Effectiveness of the Policy Intervention to Reduce Antipsychotic Use in Nursing Homes
Dr. Yiqun Chen is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Dr. Chen received her Ph.D. from Stanford University. Dr. Chen’s research focuses on topics in the interaction of health economics and labor and organizational economics.