Stanford ADRC Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core
The Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core assists in recruiting volunteers for the Stanford Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC). Our recruitment emphasizes patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Dementia with Lewy Bodies; patients with mild cognitive impairment; and healthy older controls without neurological disease or cognitive impairment.
The Core plays a crucial role in enrolling and retaining patients and controls who are Hispanic/Latino or American Indian. These groups are poorly represented in research programs on cognitive aging and neurodegenerative disorders. In many instances, Core efforts begin with educational programs and stress reduction programs for the caregiver, who is recruited along with the patient.
Other Core aims are to provide educational opportunities for medical students, medical residents and fellows, and health professionals who work with patients with Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease and their families.
Our academic and community partners include the Stanford Geriatric Education Center; the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute; the Northern California and Northern Nevada chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Parkinson Disease Association; and the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley.
Lisa Goldman Rosas, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor (Research) of Epidemiology & Population Health and of Medicine (Primary Care & Population Health)
Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core leader
An epidemiologist by training, Dr. Goldman Rosas’s research addresses disparities in chronic diseases in racial and ethnic minority groups. She received her MPH and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research features rigorous quantitative and qualitative methodologies and shared leadership with patient and community partners. She is passionate about integrating patients, caregivers, community organizations, and other key stakeholders in the research process to improve health and well-being. Dr. Goldman Rosas serves as the Faculty Director for the School of Medicine Office of Community Engagement and the Stanford Cancer Institute Community Outreach and Engagement Program. In addition to research, she teaches at the undergraduate and graduate levels and has a special focus on increasing diversity in biomedical research.
Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Population Health
Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core associate leader
Dr. Rodriguez Espinosa serves as the Associate Director of Research for the Office of Community Engagement at the Stanford University School of Medicine and directs the ADRC program for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI). Her research aims to decrease health inequities among racial and ethnic minority populations, particularly Latinxs and immigrant communities, through transdisciplinary and community-engaged scholarship. She uses community-based participatory research and related approaches to understand factors that create and maintain health inequities, such as residential segregation. She uses these insights to develop novel multi-level interventions and health promotion programs that address the inequity gap. Dr. Rodriguez Espinosa is a native of Habana, Cuba, and a clinical psychologist by training.
Wei-ting Chen, PhD
Executive Director, Office of Community Engagement
Community Engagement & Partnerships Specialist
Dr. Wei-ting Chen is the Executive Director of the Office of Community Engagement at Stanford Medicine. As a sociologist, she focuses on how social inequality shapes socially disadvantaged individual’s family experiences, life chances, and health outcomes from a life course perspective. Prior to joining Stanford Medicine, Dr. Chen was field-based academic in the California Cooperative Extension system, working on applied research projects in close collaboration with community partners.
Diana Carbajal, BA
Bilingual Outreach Coordinator
Diana Carbajal has a Psychology BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has a rich academic foundation in psychological research and data analysis, neuropsychology and clinical psychology. Her academic journey has provided her with a versatile skill set and an in-depth comprehension of human behavior across diverse domains. Motivated by a fervent passion in neuroscience and preventive medicine, Diana is committed to addressing the issue of inclusivity in minority participation and actively contributing to the prevention of chronic diseases. Her goal extends beyond conventional boundaries as she aspires to combat the stigma associated with mental health disorders/illnesses and educate the public with a culturally sensitive approach, celebrating the richness of diversity.
Diana has collaborated with diverse community groups, disseminating information on personality and clinical psychology and other neuropsychological concepts. Rooted in a commitment to cultural sensitivity, these initiatives aimed to foster awareness and understanding. Diana ensured that valuable knowledge reached communities of varied backgrounds, contributing to a more inclusive and culturally aware society.