The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Imbedded Pragmatic AD/ADRD Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 James L. Rudolph Career Development Award Program. Recipients were selected from an impressive group of competitive applications.
About the James L. Rudolph Career Development Award Program
The James L. Rudolph Career Development Award recognizes promising investigators in honor of Dr. Rudolph’s distinguished career in gerontology, dementia, and palliative care, his enduring commitment to improving care for older adults, and his unwavering dedication to mentoring and inspiring the next generation of clinicians, researchers, and health professionals.
Dr. Rudolph was a leader in advancing models of care that support people living with dementia and their care partners, particularly within health systems. His work helped translate evidence-based dementia care into system-level solutions and reflected a deep commitment to mentoring and developing the next generation of investigators who carry this work forward.
This award prepares emerging investigators to lead embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) that improve care for people living with dementia (PLWD) and their care partners. Through training, mentorship, and collaboration with experts in the field and healthcare systems, the program builds expertise in pragmatic trial methods and equips investigators to address the unique clinical, ethical, and implementation challenges of dementia care while conducting impactful, real-world research.
2025 James L. Rudolph Career Development Award Recipients:
Natalia Festa, MD, MHS, Yale School of Medicine
External Validation of Instruments to Improve Detection of Undiagnosed Dementia
Chan Mi Park, MD, PMH, Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Instute for Aging Research; Harvard Medical School
Developming an AI-based Measure for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia Using Nursing Home Electronc Health Records
Kendra Plourde, PhD, Yale School of Public Health
Designing Cluster ePCTs in Dementia Care Dyads to Assess Treatment Heterogeneity
Lauren Pollack, MD, MS, University of Washington
Improving Communication for People Living with Dementia During Emergency Response