Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research

The Michigan Center for African American Aging Research (MCUAAAR) and Program for Research on Black Americans (PRBA) are pleased to announce its 2026 Summer Mentoring Workshop for Doctoral Students focusing on research with African American populations. The virtual workshop will take place June 16-18, 2026. Drs. Robert Joseph Taylor, Amanda Woodward and Katrina Ellis are the program lead faculty. The deadline to apply for the 2026 Summer Mentoring Program is March 16, 2026.

Proposals are sought that support junior investigator-initiated research pilot projects that can lead to independent NIH-funded projects. Collaborative research projects that involve faculty from more than one department, school or institute are also encouraged. Proposals for behavioral and social science research that focus on the mental and physical health of older Americans are encouraged from all academic disciplines that address issues relevant to this topic. Proposals should recognize the importance of a person’s life course development and experiences of stress and coping as it relates to the specific research question of interest. Some examples of these issues include: quality of life, caregiving, social support, family life, cognition, mental disorders, morbidity and mortality, healthcare utilization, work and retirement.

Dr. Tamara Baker, (2002 MCUAAAR Scientist and current member of MCUAAAR National Advisory Panel) is a Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MPI of the RCMAR National Coordinating Center. Her successful career was greatly influenced by...

Extract As the health research community celebrates the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the health research community is at a crossroads in meeting the needs of a diverse aging population. Some of these concerns include access to health care, affordable housing, social isolation, and the management of chronic illnesses. With the COVID-19 pandemic as a recent exemplar of disproportionate effects in terms of morbidity and mortality for minoritized communities, gerontological scholars must continue to acknowledge and support the variable pathways of aging in communities throughout the United States. As research progresses, interventions should be tailored to be appropriate and relevant to a heterogeneous aging population. Continuation of actionable initiatives to promote access, trust-building, and inclusion has the promise of extending the reach of the gift of longevity to more older Americans in decades to come...

While it was announced that Dr. Barnes was selected for the award in July, she received the award at GSA’s 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting held in Seattle, WA. This distinguished honor is given annually and recognizes individuals who have exemplified outstanding commitment and dedication to mentoring minority researchers in the field of aging. It was renamed in 2021 in memory of James Jackson, PhD, himself a previous recipient of the award. Lisa L. Barnes, PhD is the Alla V. and Solomon Jesmer Professor of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and a cognitive neuropsychologist within the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center. She is also...

Proposals are sought that support junior investigator-initiated research pilot projects that can lead to independent NIH-funded projects. Collaborative research projects that involve faculty from more than one department, school or institute are also encouraged. Proposals for behavioral and social science research that focus on the mental and physical health of older African-Americans are encouraged from all academic disciplines that address issues relevant to this topic. Proposals should recognize the importance of a person’s life course development and experiences of stress and coping as it relates to the specific research question of interest. Some examples of these issues include: quality of life, health effects of prejudice and discrimination, caregiving, social support, family life, cognition, mental disorders, morbidity and mortality, healthcare utilization, work and retirement.

Abstract From 2018-2020, 19 states enacted Medicaid work requirements as a strategy for reducing program enrollment and overall cost. While these requirements were later rescinded, strategies to reduce Medicaid costs are likely to reemerge as states attempt to recover economically from the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we evaluated the impact of Medicaid work requirements on adults aged > 50, a group that likely faces significant age-related chronic disease burden. Using 2016 Health and Retirement Study data, we evaluated the chronic disease burden of adult Medicaid beneficiaries aged 51-64 years (n = 1460) who would be at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage due to work...

Congratulations to Mosi Adesina Ifatunji, PhD (2023 MCUAAAR Scientist and 2013 PRBA Postdoc) and Robert W. Turner II, PhD for being promoted to Associate Professor. Dr. Mosi is a Philosopher, Social Scientist and Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the Departments of African American Studies and Sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he also holds courtesy and research appointments in the Department of African Cultural Studies...

Peter A. Lichtenberg, PhD, ABPP (PI and Director, MCUAAAR) is the Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Gerontology at Wayne State University. The award ceremony will take place in November at the Seattle GSA Annual Scientific Meeting, and the award includes an esteemed lectureship at the 2025 GSA meeting. Lichtenberg has been a member of GSA since...