GERIATRIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMIC AWARD

The University of Nebraska Medical Center has a long history and commitment
to teaching health profession students in gerontology and geriatrics.
Under the leadership of Dr. Jane Potter, the last seven years have seen the
development of several programs in geriatrics. These clinical programs are
now established training sites for students, residents and fellows of
geriatric medicine. The College of Medicine is now proposing that Dr. Jane
Potter, Chief, Section of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of
Internal Medicine, develop multidisciplinary research in aging and expand
the scope of the geriatric training programs. Dr. Potter would work with
several departments within the College of Medicine and with the college of
Nursing to accomplish these goals. The six aims of this application are:
(1) to facilitate multidisciplinary research efforts in aging among faculty
which includes laboratory based, clinical science and ethical approaches.
This will be accomplished through collaboration of key faculty in the
college of Medicine and recruitment of new faculty with an interest in
aging research. (2) to expand computerized clinical data sets for use by
geriatrics faculty and trainees. This approach overcomes a major obstacle
for trainees and junior faculty who have a limited time frame in which to
conduct clinical research. It also allows collaboration with faculty from
the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. This aim will be
accomplished through purchase and setup of a local area network computer
system within the University Geriatric Center. (3) to establish
postdoctoral research training programs. Geriatric fellows from medicine,
dentistry and psychiatry will be involved in a program of didactic training
and research methods, supervised research, and manuscript preparation. (4)
to stimulate interest and facilitate research in aging among health
profession students. Research stipends would be established to support
research in aging and awards would be granted on a competitive basis. A
research fund would be established to support stipends beyond the period of
the GLAA. (5) to develop interdisciplinary training based on a functional
approach to chronic disease. This program would involve undergraduate and
postgraduate students from several health professions and include a
curriculum with didactic and clinical components. (6) to establish and
interdepartmental division of geriatrics between the Departments of
Internal Medicine and Family Practice. Under this aim the strengths of
both departments would be combined to better serve the rural aged of
Nebraska.