Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) awarded a Project Grant of $216,207.00 to Weill Medical College of Cornell University on July 15, 2026, under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866). This award supports a midcareer mentoring program led by Principal Investigator Dr. Lisa M. Kern, MD, MPH, designed to develop the next generation of researchers focused on understanding and addressing fragmented ambulatory care for people living with dementia (PLWD). The project extends through June 30, 2031, and establishes a formal training curriculum in fragmentation of care research—a field in which Dr. Kern has established expertise through a decade of investigation and current NIH R01 funding. The mentoring program will build capacity in an understudied but clinically significant area, as fragmented care (where no single provider accounts for the majority of patient visits) has been associated with medication errors, duplicate testing, missed diagnoses, and increased hospitalizations, with PLWD representing a particularly vulnerable population.

The award directly addresses the gap in investigator training within fragmentation of care research by leveraging Dr. Kern's established research infrastructure and track record managing eight grants specifically focused on ambulatory care patterns. The program will deliver structured mentoring, training curricula, and research guidance to develop additional investigators capable of conducting rigorous health services research on care fragmentation in older adult populations. By establishing this formal mentoring initiative at a leading research institution with substantial NIH portfolio activity, the grant strengthens the scientific workforce and institutional capacity to advance evidence-based solutions for improving care coordination and quality outcomes in geriatric medicine.