February 19, 2026 Continue reading
Author: Josee Meehan
IMPACT Members Present at NIH Pragmatic Trials Workshop; Materials Now Available Online
Materials from the NIH Pragmatic Trials’ “Dissemination and Implementation in Embedded Pragmatic Trials: Science‑Powered Strategies to Sustain and Spread Effective Interventions” workshop at the 18th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health are now available online.
The session featured two IMPACT members: multiple principal investigator Vince Mor, PhD, who presented on post‑trial sustainment or deimplementation of study interventions, and Stephanie Morain, PhD, MPH, co‑chair of the Ethics & Regulatory Core, who addressed ethical and regulatory considerations and post‑trial obligations.
Access Dr. Mor’s presentation here. Access Dr. Morain’s presentation here. For the full conference materials, click here.
Home Time as a Patient-Centered Outcome in Pragmatic Trials: Promise, Pitfalls, and the Path Forward
Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Director, UNC Palliative Care Program, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Claire Ankuda, MD, MPH
Associate Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Associate Director of Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Courtney Van Houtven, PhD
Professor, Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine and Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy
Learning Objectives
- Understand the concept of home time as a patient‑centered, system‑relevant outcome measure and how it is operationalized across different clinical contexts.
- Recognize the limitations, measurement challenges, and equity concerns associated with using home time as an outcome or performance metric in pragmatic clinical trials.
- Reflect on emerging evidence and future directions for developing more person‑centered home time measures that better capture quality of life for older adults and caregivers.
Mor presentation from Geriatric and Palliative Medicine Grand Rounds now available
IMPACT Multiple Principal Investigator Vince Mor, PhD, discussed the history of geriatric assessment and its transformation into a technology for patients, populations, and research in his presentation “From Geriatric Assessment to Electronic Medical Records: Transforming Long Term Care Research” on December 18, 2025 for the Geriatric and Palliative Medicine Grand Rounds series hosted by the University of California-San Francisco Division of Geriatrics. Watch the presentation to learn more about:
- The historical development of comprehensive geriatric assessment and its role in defining the scope of geriatric medicine.
- How the codification of geriatric assessment principles in the Nursing Home Minimum Data Set (MDS) advanced understanding of frail and high-risk older adult populations.
- How advances in computational and analytic methods enable the integration of diagnostic, functional, treatment, laboratory, and vital signs data to study physiological processes in older adults.
- How integrated, data-driven insights can inform the design and successful implementation of more effective interventions in nursing homes and other long-term care settings.
The presentation is available online here.
LEAP! Rx: A randomized trial of a pragmatic approach to lifestyle medicine
December 2025 - In Grand Rounds 61, Amber Watts, PhD and Amanda N. Szabo-Reed, PhD discuss “LEAP! Rx: A randomized trial of a pragmatic approach to lifestyle medicine.”
Speakers
Amber Watts, PhD
Associated Professor
University of Kansas
Director, BRANCH LAb
Amanda N. Szabo-Reed, PhD
Research Associate Professor
University of Kansas Medical Center
Learning Objectives
- Understand why exercise is important for Alzheimer’s disease prevention.
- Recognize barriers to translating exercise research into clinical practice.
- Learn how the LEAP! Rx trial was designed and implemented.
- Compare outcomes and adherence between physician-referred and self-referred participants.
- Explore strategies for supporting long-term exercise habits in older adults.
IMPACT Awardee Earns Pilot Grant to Study Dementia Care Quality
IMPACT Career Development Awardee Erica Frechman, PhD, AGPCNP-BC was awarded a Pilot Grant from the National Dementia Workforce Study for her study, Advance Practice Providers and Dementia Care: Role of Training, Preparedness, and Practice Setting for Patient Outcomes. IMPACT executive committee member Jennifer Gabbard, MD is a co-investigator for this study.
Frechman’s study will leverage the Community Clinician survey and CMS claims data to examine APPs and how their dementia-specific training, preparedness, and practice settings are associated with meaningful variation in care quality and outcomes for people living with dementia.
Learn more about Pilot Grant awardees here.
Yale School of Medicine Seeks Postdoctoral Associate in Gerontologic Biostatistics
Yale School of Medicine is hiring a Postdoctoral Associate in Gerontologic Biostatistics for a 2.5-year full-time position. This role focuses on methodological development in pragmatic dyadic study design within embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs). Mentorship will be provided by Drs. Joan Monin and Heather Allore (Yale School of Public Health) and Dr. Thomas Travison (Harvard Medical School).
Learn more about the position and how to apply here.
IMPACT Collaboratory and NEXT STEPs Network Request Applications for Real World Data Scholars Program
In collaboration with the NEXT STEPs Network and the Long-Term Care (LTC) Data Cooperative, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Imbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory (U54AG063546) is now accepting applications for the 2025 Real World Data Scholars Program.
The one-year mentored training program is designed to build practical skills and professional networks for postdoctoral fellows, advanced graduate students, and early-career investigators interested in using real-world data (RWD) to improve care of people living in nursing homes and assisted living communities, including people living with dementia.
Up to four awards, each providing up to $60,000, will be granted to postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and early-career investigators to gain mentored training and experience using RWD to improve long-term care.
Scholars will be matched with a program mentor to support their training, project development, and engagement in the program. They will also complete a research project using data from the LTC Data Cooperative to develop or validate measures applicable to clinical trials within nursing homes and assisted living communities. Scholars are expected to independently complete all analytic and scholarly work.
Additionally, scholars will have opportunities to engage in the activities of the IMPACT Collaboratory and NEXT STEPs Network, including Grand Rounds, training opportunities, and annual meetings that foster interdisciplinary exchange, professional development, and methodological advances. Information on prior Scholars and their projects is available here.
Read the full RFA here.
For more information, join the informational webinar on December 8 (see details below) and visit our Real World Data Scholars Program webpage. Learn more about previous awardees here.
Informational Webinar
An informational webinar will provide an overview of the program and address applicant questions. Registration is required.
December 8, 2025 @ 1:00 PM ET
Applications
Due: January 15, 2026 @ 11:59 PM ET
If you have any questions regarding these funding opportunities, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions or email IMPACTcollaboratory@hsl.harvard.edu.
Please help to publicize the IMPACT funding and training opportunities and encourage your investigators and colleagues to apply.
Using pragmatic trials to address prescription safety in older patients with diabetes
November 2025 - In Grand Rounds 60, Richard W. Grant, MD, MPH discusses "Using pragmatic trials to address prescription safety in older patients with diabetes."
Speakers
Richard W. Grant, MD, MPH
Research Scientist
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Learning Objectives
- Understand how pragmatic clinical trials improve prescription safety for older adults with diabetes
- Explore deprescribing strategies and barriers in diabetes care
- Review key findings from the RETRO-DM and SAGE studies
- Learn practical interventions for safer diabetes management, including academic detailing and technology-enabled hypoglycemia prevention