Research Scientists
One of the MCCFAD’s primary goals is to broaden and enrich the aging research workforce by identifying and mentoring scientists from and/or with interest in underrepresented groups who can advance research on AD and related dementias (ADRD).
2025-2026 AD-RCMAR Research Scientists
Cesar Higgins Tejera
Postdoctoral Fellow
Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins University
Project title: Biological Aging and Proteomic Profiling of Socioeconomic Conditions Associated with Cognitive Deterioration
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The goal of the proposed pilot study is two-fold: i) characterize repeated measures of proteomic aging and profiling of a sample (n~61) of middle age adults, ii) explore the distinct biological pathways by which socioeconomic conditions affect trajectories of biological aging, cognitive decline, and brain morphology. to accomplish these goals, we will leverage data and samples from the IMPACT study. IMPACT is a longitudinal study (~5 year follow-up) based on a sample of the MAC WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) and has repeated measures of cognitive functioning (~6 months) and neuroimaging data (~1 year) on people living with HIV and a demographically comparable group of people without HIV.
Rita Hu
Postdoctoral Fellow
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago
Project title: Understanding Dementia Stigma’s Effects on Social Relationships Among Southeast Asian Older Adults
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The pilot study aims to investigate how dementia-related stigma, acculturation, and social relationships intersect among Southeast Asian older adults. Understanding these dynamics is critical for addressing the social consequences of stigma and informing interventions that strengthen social networks to promote better health outcomes. By focusing on Southeast Asian older adults, this study addresses critical gaps in knowledge about dementia stigma and social relationships in an underserved and rapidly growing population. Findings from this pilot study will support future research to disentangle the nuanced experiences of dementia stigma, cultural and linguistic patterns, and their impact on social relationships. In the long term, this work aims to develop tailored care models to support Southeast Asian older adults, particularly those living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
Mohammad Usama Toseef
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor, Corewell Health, Oakland University William Beaumont Medical School
Project title:
The Role of Medicare’s Annual Wellness Visits on the Detection of ADRD for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Older Adults
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- Investigate the uptake and individual and contextual level correlates of (a) Medicare’s Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs), and (b) “cognitive assessment and care plan services” during these yearly wellness visits among older MENA individuals, 65-years or older.
- Investigate differences in (a) prevalence of cognitive visits among individuals with and without AWVs and (b) the incidence of ADRD diagnoses that result from Medicare AWVs (versus no AWVs) for older MENA individuals, 65-years or older.
- Compare the rates of AWVs uptake and ADRD diagnoses resulting from AWVs between MENA individuals and their non-Hispanic White (NHW) and Black (NHB) counterparts.