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Training the Next Generation of Brain Health Researchers CANDR is deeply committed to building the future of Alzheimer's and neurodegenerative disease research — and that means investing in people. Through our Research Education Core (REC) and longstanding training programs, we prepare the next generation of scientists, clinicians, and community health professionals to lead discoveries in brain health.
Over 20 years of successful NIH-funded training programs — producing independent researchers who are advancing brain health science around the world.
CANDR's educational mission is reinforced by four highly successful, long-running NIH training programs, each emphasizing vascular contributions to brain health and cognitive decline:
Provides advanced training for physicians and researchers specializing in the prevention and treatment of stroke and critical neurological illness, with a focus on vascular contributions to long-term outcomes including cognitive impairment.
A combined MD/PhD program training the next generation of physician-scientists in basic and translational neuroscience, with opportunities to engage directly with CANDR research cores.
A PhD training program providing rigorous foundational and specialized training in neuroscience, with thematic emphasis on the biology of brain aging, vascular disease and cognitive impairment.
Supports early-career faculty in developing the skills needed to pursue independent translational research careers, including mentored research projects within CANDR cores.
The CANDR Research Education Core (REC) — led by Drs. Solomon, Reyes, Herman, and Broderick — provides structured training, mentoring, pilot project funding, and professional development for scholars at every career stage, from undergraduate students to early-career faculty.
REC objectives include:
CANDR recognizes that advancing brain health science requires reaching the communities most affected by Alzheimer's and dementia — and that meaningful engagement goes beyond the laboratory. Our Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement (ORE) Core, led by Drs. Bakas and Kum, ensures that CANDR's research is inclusive, relevant, and trusted by the communities we serve.
Current community engagement partnerships include:
CANDR has built deep research and clinical relationships with health systems and community organizations serving rural Appalachian communities in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia — a region with high rates of vascular risk factors and significant unmet need in dementia care and research.
UC's partnership with Closing the Health Gap ensure every resident has the opportunity to live a healthy, thriving life. Through education, advocacy, and community partnership, the Health Gap inspires lasting change—building trust, lifting voices, and creating a future where wellness belongs to everyone.
UC's partnership with Kroger Health — whose headquarters are in Cincinnati — provides a unique platform to engage community members during routine health interactions, expanding early detection and research recruitment through trusted, accessible channels.
CANDR actively engages primary care physicians as partners in brain health — providing education on early detection of cognitive impairment and facilitating referrals to the CCBP and clinical research studies.
CANDR's partnership with the UCGNI Memory Care and Brain Health Center creates a learning health system — where research findings are continuously integrated into clinical practice and clinical experience drives new research questions.