Scientists

Second Cycle

Years2023-2028

Year 8: 2025-2026

Cumulative Exposure to Natural Disasters and Mental Health among Older Adults in the U.S.

PI: Ying Huang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Demography, UTSA.

Mentor: Fernando Riosmena, PhD (UTSA).

Goal: To integrate multiple data sources to create a comprehensive measure of cumulative natural disaster exposure for adults transitioning from mid to late adulthood; and to evaluate how life course exposure to natural disasters differs across racial/ethnic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds, with a special focus on the Hispanic population.

The Impact of Lifetime Smoking Exposure on the Cognitive Function of Older Mexican Adults.

PI: Jaqueline C. Avila, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts, Boston

Mentors: Rebeca Wong, PhD (UTSA), Claudia Kimie Suemot, MD, PhD, University of Sao Paulo Medical School. Sao Paulo, Brazil

Goal: To use lifetime smoking exposure in Mexico as a pilot example to assess how rapidly changing birth cohorts are experiencing the burden of smoking and its influence on cognitive impairment, and how changes in sex norms and educational levels across these cohorts modify this association.

woman wearing glasses, smiling in professional dress in a studio setting

PI: Weidi Qin, PhD, Assistant Professor, Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Mentor: Soham Al Snih, MD, PhD (UTMB), Emily J Nicklett (UTSA).

Goal: To contribute new evidence on the longitudinal relationships between functional limitations and cognitive decline among older Mexican Americans, and the moderating role of perceived neighborhood social cohesion.

photo of caucasian woman wearing glasses and professional dress, smiling outdoors

PI: Meredith Stensland, PhD, LMSW, Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (UTSA)

Mentor: David Leland Roberts, PhD (UTSA), Donald Douglas McGeary, PhD (UTSA), Lisa Kilpela PhD (UTSA), Emily J Nickelett, PhD (UTSA)

Goal: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of recruiting and training older adults to become peer support helpers to deliver a cognitive-behavioral intervention to older adults living with chronic pain and/or depression in senior living communities

man wearing glasses and a striped shirt, smiling

PI: Stipica Mudrazija, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Washington

Mentor: Jacqueline L Angel, PhD (UTA)

Goal: To examine the utilization of formal and informal (mostly family) care among Medicare-Medicaid dually eligible adults aged 65 years and older; and compare utilization of care among older dual eligibles and non-eligibles

Year 7: 2024-2025

a man wearing glasses in an office setting

Healthcare preferences of older Hispanic residents in Texas

PI: Stephen Pan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Public Health, University of Texas at San Antonio
Mentors: Patricia Chalela, DrPH and Amelie Ramirez, DrPH, MPH

Goal: Optimize the study design and target population’s acceptability of a discrete choice experiment (DCE). The DCE will elucidate traditional and conventional healthcare preferences of older Hispanics in Texas when facing hypothetical symptoms of breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Identify attributes and levels for a DCE. The DCE will elucidate traditional and conventional healthcare preferences of older Hispanics in Texas when facing hypothetical symptoms of breast and colorectal cancer.

Advancing Hispanic outreach and retention in ADRD (AHORA) research initiative

PI: Patricia Garcia, PsyD, Assistant Professor, Clinical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Indiana University School of Medicine

Mentors: Fernando Riosmena, PhD and Miriam J. Rodriguez, PhD

Goal: Examine the relationship between adverse SDoH and interest levels in ADRD biomarker research participation in H/L older adults compared to WNH (White non-Hispanic) older adults. Develop and refine culturally sensitive messaging which targets adverse SDoH to increase interest levels in ADRD biomarker research participation in H/L older adults.

Year 6: 2023-2024

Racial differences in informant-reported functional decline and caregiving intensity

PI: Phillip Cantu, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch

Mentors: Rebeca Wong, PhD and Emily Nicklett, PhD

Goal: Investigate racial differences in informant-reported functional decline and caregiving intensity among older adults in the United States to understand how declines in physical and cognitive function impact the level of care received, particularly from informal sources like family and friends. Data from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) will be used to identify distinct classes of cognitive and functional decline reported by caregivers, and to compare these classes between different racial groups.

Racial and ethnic disparities in unmet care needs among older adults

PI: Zhiyong Lin, PhD, Assistant Professor, Sociology and Demography, University of Texas at San Antonio

Mentors: Fernando Riosmena, PhD and Debra Umberson, PhD

Goal: Investigate racial and ethnic disparities in unmet care needs among older adults in the United States to understand how various intersecting social identities, such as race, ethnicity, gender, and nativity, influence the experiences of older adults in receiving care. Data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) will be used to examine how these social factors interact to determine one's exposure to care needs and care networks, leading to unequal experiences of unmet care needs in later life.

Mixed methods to assess sex differences in end-of-life care in hospitalized Hispanic patients

PI: Myrna Katalina Serna, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Division of General Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch

Mentors: Abbey B. Berenson, MD, PhD and Jill Fleuriet, PhD

Goal: Assess sex differences in end-of-life care among hospitalized Hispanic patients to understand disparities in advance care planning, palliative care, and hospice enrollment within this population. Electronic Health Record data from UTMB spanning 2018-2023, focusing on Hispanic patients aged 75 and above hospitalized under general medicine services will be used. Multivariable logistic regression will be utilized to assess sex differences in end-of-life planning outcomes. In-depth interviews with 10-15 Hispanic women and 10-15 Hispanic men hospitalized at UTMB will be conducted to understand the underlying mechanisms driving these differences.

Cervical cancer screening in older Hispanic women living in Texas

PI: Coralia Vázquez-Otero, JD, MPH, PhD, Assistant Professor, Public Health, University of Texas at San Antonio

Mentors: Amelie Ramirez, PhD and Elizabeth Vaughn, MD, PhD

Goal: Characterize cervical cancer screening (CCS) in older Hispanic women living in Texas, with a particular emphasis on understanding and addressing disparities in cancer prevention and screening. By examining multilevel factors and disaggregating information by Hispanic subgroups, the project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the barriers and facilitators to CCS in this population.

First Cycle

Years: 2017-2022

Year 5: 2022-2023

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Non-Medical Prescription Drug Use Among U.S. Older Adults.

PI: Timothy J. Grigsby, PhD, University of Nevada

Mentors: Jay Shen, PhD and Chad L. Cross, PhD, MFT, Pstat(R), C-MDI

Goal: Characterize the trend in prevalence of Non-Medical Prescription Drug Use (NMPDU) in a nationally representative sample of U.S. older adults by race/ethnicity from 2015-2019; and explore how racial/ethnic NMPDU trends vary by education and income level.

Sociodemographic and Neurocognitive Characterization of Mexican American Bilinguals and Monolinguals Presenting with Typical and Pathological Cognitive Aging

PIs: Stephanie Grasso, University of Texas at Austin and Brian Downer, PhD, University of Texas Medical Branch

Goal: Characterize the sociodemographic profile of bilingualism, English proficiency, and language dominance in older Mexican Americans. Estimate the association of bilingualism, English proficiency, and language dominance with changes in cognitive function in Mexican Americans over a 20-year period. Identify cross-sectional differences in brain structure between Mexican American bilinguals and monolinguals presenting with typical cognitive aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). Evaluate the effects of bilingualism on longitudinal patterns of neurocognitive decline and the accuracy of deep machine learning to forecast these patterns over a six-year period in Mexican Americans with typical cognitive aging, MCI, and AD.

Year 4: 2021-2022

The influence of Natural Disaster Severity on Incident Adverse Health Outcomes among older Mexican Americans.

PI: Amie Hufton, PhD, Texas A&M University at Galveston
Mentors: John Prochaska, PhD and Kyriakos Markides, PhD

Goal: Examine the influence of natural disaster exposure and severity on incident mental, cognitive and physical health indicators among aging Mexican Americans. This retrospective analysis will a) describe the risk factors related to exposure to natural disasters associated with incident depression, cognition, or physical disability, and b) examine inequalities in these health outcomes by nativity (other or US born) in Mexican Americans who have participated in the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE).

Cognitive Demand of Lifetime Occupation among Older Mexican Adults.

PI: Chi-Ying “Cynthia” Li, PhD, University of Texas Medical Branch
Mentors: Rebeca Wong, PhD, and Soham Al Snih, MD, PhD.

Goal: This pilot will test the feasibility of constructing an index of cognitive demand by occupation, using the participants of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) and their reported main occupation over the life course. In addition, the project will identify the influence of cognitive demands of occupations on the diverse trajectories of cognitive function in old age among Mexicans. The pilot project will use data from the MHAS 2012 and information on occupational skills available in the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database, maintained by the US Department of Labor (https://www.onetonline.org/), and MHAS 2012 to 2018 for the trajectories.

Gender Differences in Pain and its Relation to Cognitive Function among Aging Mexicans.

PI: Sadaf Milani, PhD, University of Texas Medical Branch
Mentors: Mukaila Raji, MD, and Rebeca Wong, PhD

Goal: This pilot project will identify gender differences in patterns and covariates of persistent pain between two cohorts that have experienced distinct social changes in Mexico. We will identify sociodemographic, behavioral, and health correlates of pain among older Mexican men and women. We will compare the patterns among two cohorts, using non-overlapping age intervals: those aged 60 to 71 in 2001 and those aged 60 to 71 in 2012. In addition, we will use longitudinal data to assess gender differences in the relationship between persistent pain (reported in 2001/2003) and cognitive function among Mexicans over a 15-year follow-up (2003 to 2018).

Year 3: 2019-2020

Caregiving and Disability in Older Vietnamese in the U.S.

PI: Christina E. Miyawaki, PhD, University of Houston
Mentors: Kyriakos Markides, PhD and Hoang Nguyen, PhD

Goal: Examine how caregivers’ characteristics are associated with care recipients’ well-being by using the VACS Wave 1 caregiver-care recipient dyad data (N=67 dyads). Examine how care recipient’s sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics are associated with their mental health by using the VACS Wave 1 care recipient data (N=132). Compare the prevalence of disability for older Vietnamese (n=10,052) with other older Asian Americans (n=87,958) and non-Hispanic Whites (n=2,406,785) by using the 2014-2018 US Census American Community Survey (ACS) data.

Assessing geographic and cultural disparities in neurocognitive testing in Hispanic Americans with end stage renal disease undergoing evaluation for kidney transplantation.

PI: Michael L Kueht, II, MD, University of Texas Medical Branch
Mentors: Soham Al Snih, MD, PhD and Muhammad Mujtaba, MD

Goal: Assess the prevalence and adequacy of neurocognitive testing in Hispanic Americans with end stage renal disease undergoing evaluation for kidney transplantation at two distant clinic sites within our institution, the Rio Grande Valley and Galveston Island. Determine the factors associated with cognitive impairment among Hispanic Americans with end stage renal disease undergoing evaluation for kidney transplantation at two distant clinic sites within our institution, the Rio Grande Valley and Galveston Island populations

Year 2: 2018-2019

David S. Lopez, MS, MPH, DrPH - Scholar (UTMB)

Testosterone deficiency, therapy, and mortality among older Hispanic men.

PI: David S. Lopez, MS, MPH, DrPH, University of Texas Medical Branch
Mentors: Yong-fang Kuo, PhD and Kyriakos Markides, PhD

Goal: Determine prospective associations between T deficiency and all-cause, cardiovascular, cancer specific mortality among Hispanic adult men in the NHANES waves (≥ 40 years). We will also explore the interrelations of T deficiency, obesity, urological and dietary factors with all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer-specific mortality. Investigate prospective associations of T therapy with risk of obesity-related cancers (prostate, bladder, and kidney) and cancer-specific mortality among Hispanic adult men (≥ 66 years) in the SEER-Medicare.

Household composition and cognitive change among older adults in Mexico.

PI: Jacqueline Torres, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
Mentors: Rebeca Wong, PhD and Kyriakos Markides, PhD

Goal: Evaluate the feasibility of constructing meaningful variables to capture the change in household composition over time, including respondent and family-member moves in mid to late life. Examine the effect of changes in household composition on cognitive decline for older respondents. We will assess the analytical power of these new variables in models of cognitive function and compare results using conventional techniques for evaluating

Year 1: 2017-2018

Monique Pappadis, MEd, PhD - Scholar (UTMB)

Life-space mobility, readmission, and mortality following stroke in Mexican Americans.

PI: Monique Pappadis, MEd, PhD, University of Texas Medical Branch
Mentors: Soham Al Snih, MD, PhD and Kenneth Ottenbacher, PhD

Goal: Identify the association among older Mexican Americans between pre-stroke life space mobility and: 1) discharge destination, 2) 30-day re-admission after discharge, and 3) mortality following a stroke, considering ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes with home, rehabilitation facility, or long-term care facility at discharge.

Ana M. Rodriguez, MD, MPH - Scholar (UTMB)

Awareness of cancer risk in Hispanic women aged 50 years and older

PI: Ana M. Rodriguez, MD, MPH, University of Texas Medical Branch
Mentors: James S. Goodwin, MD and Yong-Fang Kuo, PhD

Goal: Evaluate the impact of certain risk factors on endometrial cancer risk among Hispanic postmenopausal women and describe the pattern of health utilization and proxy awareness of the relationship between obesity, comorbidities, and endometrial cancer risk by estimating health care utilization among Hispanic women aged 50 years and older at risk for endometrial cancer.

Improving healthcare of older adults with ADRD: caregiver-patient dyads in the US and Mexico.

PI: Rafael Samper-Ternent, MD, PhD, University of Texas Medical Branch
Mentors: Rebeca Wong, PhD and Abbey Berenson, MD, PhD

Goal: Characterize patient-caregiver dyads and compare them by race/ethnicity in the US. Perform parallel analysis in Mexico to compare with the US Hispanic population. Address the following Specific Aims: 1) Identify patterns in the patient-caregiver dyads by race/ethnicity in the US and in Mexico; and 2) Compare patient/caregiver dyads of persons in the US and Mexico, and their association with attributes of the care provided.

Contact Us

Sealy Center on Aging (SCOA)
301 University Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77555-0177
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Phone: (409) 747-0008
Email: aging.research@utmb.edu

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