RESEARCH
Research Highlights
2020-21
STUDY
Increasing Diversity in Clinical Research Participants UCF part of a $2 million, three-year statewide effort Different people have different responses to treatments. That’s why there are national mandates to include racial and ethnic minorities in clinical research to ensure that the results are applicable in the real world.
“Last year, the college increased collaborations across disciplines and received more federal funding for research. While the past year and a half has been difficult, it has showed the strength of our faculty and the tireless work of our researchers to improve nursing care through scientific discoveries.” Carmen Giurgescu Associate Dean for Research Chatlos Foundation Endowed Chair
However, a lack of diversity in clinical
“We want to ensure
research persists. “The challenge
clinical research in Florida
for researchers today is the limited
is representative of our
recruitment and enrollment of racial
population, and therefore,
and ethnic minorities,” said Professor
the results can help
Donna Felber Neff, a co-principal
improve the health and
investigator on the Florida Registry
wellbeing of all races and ethnicities,”
for Aging Studies. The project, which
added Neff.
is funded by the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National
As part of the project, the researchers
Institutes of Health, is a first-of-its-kind
are examining intergenerational
project helping to address the issue.
influence – the influence of one generation on another for attitudes,
Culturally diverse older Americans
values and behaviors – to recruit and
experience a higher rate of chronic
enroll the participants. Oftentimes,
disease and health conditions
culturally diverse older adults consult
compared to white older Americans. “It
family members when making
is an important public health priority
healthcare treatment decisions.
as a gap in knowledge prevents
NEW RESEARCH FUNDING $3.65M $2.69M
$1.6M
best evidence-based treatments for
Using the insights gained from
African American, Latino and Hispanic,
focus groups and surveys on
and Caribbean older adults who are
intergenerational influence, the
the fastest growing segment of the
researchers will create a marketing
population in Florida,” Neff said.
communications plan to increase awareness and willingness to
To address this, a group of researchers
participate in research opportunities.
from universities across Florida,
At the completion of the three-year
including Neff, are seeking to create a
project, the group expects to have a
statewide registry of culturally diverse
registry of more than 3,000 culturally
older adults ready to participate in
diverse adults ages 65 and older.
clinical research studies. ’18-’19
’19-’20
’20-’21
nursing.ucf.edu | FALL 2021 | 19
