Washington State University’s Research and Education Institute for Community Health Advancement (IREACH) and Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness (WPHW) were awarded a four-year Center Grant of $4.49 million from the National Institutes of Health.

The Center’s grants are intended to estimate the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia and mild cognitive impairment among Wabanaki citizens aged 55 and older and to determine the current and future economic costs associated with these conditions. purpose. It also assists in the development of public health courses for undergraduates and the establishment of a research review board for the Wahanagi Public Health District. Based in Bangor, Maine, the center grant will run for the next three years.

Dr. Patrick Johansson, MD, MPH, and Associate Professor at WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and Director of WSU’s Northwest Health Education and Research Outcomes Network (NW HERON), with Lisa Sokavasin and Center Grants jointly lead. RN, MS, and he co-CEO of WPHW.

Johansson has worked for more than 20 years with the Wabanaki tribe, which is made up of Mi’kmaq tribes. Horton Band of Maliseet Indians. Penobscot Nation. The Passamaquoddy Nation, which comprises the communities of Indian Township and Pleasant Point. He has also worked with various tribes across the country.

Johansson said: The work we are doing in Maine will inform future collaborations with tribes in Washington on tribal priorities related to aging. ”

IREACH faculty and staff serve communities for underserved communities in both urban and rural areas of the Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Pacific and Hawaiian Islanders, and the Northwest, and elsewhere throughout the country. We are working to improve health through participatory research based.