Leadership Training in Real-World Data Analytics: Sleep and Alzheimer's Disease

In the past decade, there has been an explosion in availability of real-world data (RWD). With RWD’s vast potential, there is a need for scientists with the training to lead multidisciplinary teams to generate insights from such data and translate them into population health improvements. In August 2022, I was awarded my first R01, which seeks to determine the impact of sleep apnea treatment on the risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). While I have been fortunate to achieve “research independence,” I need leadership training to catapult into a mid-career scientist with a broader NIH-funded research program. The purpose of this proposed K02 award is to support my transition into a multiple R01-funded researcher and establish leadership in using RWD to advance sleep health and Alzheimer’s disease prevention both locally at the University of Florida (UF) and nationally. In pursuit of this goal, I have designed a 5-year comprehensive leadership development program to provide the needed training and resources to develop key skills needed for the next stage of my career: a) obtaining a better understanding of RWD methodologies, b) gaining leadership skills for managing interdisciplinary research teams and collaborations, and c) establishing a Sleep Research Collaboratory at UF focused on sleep, Alzheimer’s disease, and RWD. The planned leadership training is specifically designed to capitalize on the extensive RWD resources available to us at the University of Florida, including an extensive database of both public and private healthcare claims, and notably OneFlorida+, a large PCORI-funded research network that includes a data trust of electronic health records from almost 19 million patients in the Southeast. Leveraging resources and collaborations at UF, I will conduct research to generate preliminary data supporting two R01 submissions to understand the impact of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) on cognitive outcomes in patients with sleep apnea. Recent research has indicated GLP- 1 RAs as a promising treatment for sleep apnea, making it crucial to explore their effects on cognition. The first proposal will be a competing renewal of my R01 focusing on understanding if treating OSA with GLP-1 RAs can slow cognitive decline and, ultimately, ADRD. A second new R01 will propose to conduct an emulated clinical trial in OneFlorida+ to investigate the impact of GLP-1 RAs on the treatment of OSA and cascading cognitive outcomes. The leadership training I propose, alongside the collaborations I will build for these R01 submissions, will directly contribute to developing a research community at UF focused on sleep research and ADRD using RWD. The leadership activities proposed herein will provide me with an excellent opportunity to transition my current R01 into a larger NIH-funded program that leverages UF’s extensive RWD resources. Ultimately, this training will equip me with the skills to lead multidisciplinary teams, develop strategic leadership abilities, and establish a nationally recognized research program in sleep and Alzheimer’s disease using RWD. Project Number: 1K02AG095384-01 | Fiscal Year: 2025 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Aging (NIA) | Principal Investigator: Christopher Kaufmann | Institution: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, GAINESVILLE, FL | Award Amount: $149,148 | Activity Code: K02 | Study Section: Career Development for Established Investigators and Conference Grants Study Section[AGCD-4] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11213999