While researchers strive to be objective and present their findings based on evidence, the pursuit of the facts can still be personal, especially in the health sciences.
“Research can feel personal for several reasons, depending on the individual’s connection to the work,” says Lauren Little, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, associate dean of research for CHS and associate professor of occupational therapy. “Researchers often have a personal investment in, and emotional connection to, the topic in which they investigate, often fueled from personal life experiences or clinical encounters.”
Research is also personal because it can be connected to a desire for change, Little explains. “Whether we want to change the ways in which individuals access care or the types of care that they receive, research has a personal connection to how we want to influence the world,” she says.
Such connections are evident for two CHS faculty who are recipients of the 2024 Rush to Progress: Accelerating Research through Pilot Awards grants.
Advancing equity in dementia care
Chien-Ching Li, PhD, MPH, FGSA, health services researcher and associate professor in the Department of Health Systems Management, earned a $100,000 pilot award for his research addressing the growing public health challenge of Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD) among Chinese American family caregivers.
“As the largest Asian subgroup in the United States, Chinese Americans are aging rapidly and often face unique barriers to ADRD care planning due to cultural norms, language barriers and limited health literacy,” Li explains. “These challenges exacerbate the physical and emotional caregiving burden experienced by this underserved population. This grant will enable the development, refinement and evaluation of a culturally and linguistically tailored, web-based decision-aid (DA) tool aimed at supporting ADRD care planning among Chinese American family caregivers.”
The DA tool aims to facilitate shared decision-making about home health care versus facility-based long-term care to help reduce the caregiving burden for families, he says. “This grant not only strengthens my research capacity but also positions this project as one of the first to deliver evidence-based, culturally sensitive tools to address ADRD care disparities among Chinese Americans,” Li says. “The findings will guide the implementation of health care interventions and lay the groundwork for broader dissemination and adoption of decision aids, ultimately advancing equity in dementia care for underserved minority populations.”
“Whether we want to change the ways in which individuals access care or the types of care that they receive, research has a personal connection to how we want to influence the world.”
– Lauren Little, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, associate dean of research for CHS and associate professor of occupational therapy
Investigating the potential of telehealth
Steven Taylor, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, says he was deeply honored to receive a $50,000 grant for his pilot testing a telehealth strategy to support older adults with cognitive decline.
“This recognition not only underscores the importance of advancing health care access for older adults but also supports my journey as an early-stage investigator committed to innovative research,” Taylor says. “With this award, I am excited to further explore the potential of telehealth-delivered strategy training through the Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) framework.”
Taylor’s study aims to address the unmet needs of older adults with subjective cognitive decline by promoting functional independence and equitable access to care. “By combining telehealth with real-time performance evaluations, this research has the potential to transform how we support aging populations in maintaining their daily lives,” Taylor says. “I am grateful to Rush for investing in me and other early-stage investigators, and for the opportunity to advance practice in this field.”