Emory University researchers in Atlanta are working to close a long-standing gap in Alzheimer’s disease research by engaging older Black men through monthly community sessions at the Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute. The program pairs health education with study recruitment, and it builds on published Emory findings that targeted outreach increases enrollment among African American adults.
Key Takeaways
- Emory’s Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center analyzed 194 adults enrolled in its studies between 2016 and 2024. The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
- African American men enrolled in Emory’s research studies more quickly than other groups, despite being considered among the hardest populations to engage.
- Georgia Department of Public Health data shows 19 percent of Black Georgians age 45 and older report cognitive impairment, up from 12 percent in 2021.
- Nationally, older Black Americans are twice as likely as older white Americans to have Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.
- Community events held in Black churches and neighborhood centers were especially effective at drawing participants into Emory studies.
- The research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Georgia Department of Human Services through Georgia Memory Net.
Emory’s Monthly Men’s Program Doubles as a Research Pipeline
The Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute hosts a Men’s Health Program each month. Attendees share fellowship while learning about health topics specific to men. Atlanta News First visited a recent Thursday morning session and reported that dozens of participants attended, all of them Black men. According to the institute, that makeup is intentional.
The sessions are built around health education. Participants ask questions and discuss issues related to aging, but the gatherings also serve a second purpose. They give Emory researchers a trusted, recurring point of contact with a population that has been largely absent from the studies used to understand Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Antoine R. Trammell, a board-certified internist at Emory University School of Medicine who focuses on Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment, leads much of this work. His approach treats recruitment as a relationship built over months rather than a one-time request to sign up for a study.
The Emory Study Measured What Actually Moves Enrollment
The monthly program is grounded in data. In January 2026, Emory researchers published a study in Alzheimer’s & Dementia examining which recruitment strategies worked for the Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Dr. Antoine R. Trammell led the study with Dr. James J. Lah, associate director of the center, and Dr. Monica W. Parker, who leads the center’s outreach and recruitment.
The team analyzed records for 194 adults who enrolled in the center’s research between 2016 and 2024. African American participants were more likely than non-Hispanic white participants to have attended an outreach event before enrolling. Events held in Black communities, including churches and neighborhood centers, were especially effective.
The most notable result involved Black men. Although researchers generally consider African American men among the hardest groups to engage in clinical research, they enrolled more quickly than other groups in the Emory data. The authors credited programs with focused content relevant to that audience. Dr. James J. Lah said the results show that “intentional, community-informed outreach can help close that gap.”
Georgia Data Shows Cognitive Impairment Rising Among Black Residents
Statewide numbers show why Emory’s outreach matters. According to Georgia Department of Public Health data cited in Atlanta News First’s reporting, 19 percent of Black Georgians age 45 and older report cognitive impairment, compared with 18 percent of white adults and 18 percent of Hispanic adults in the same age group.
The gap between groups is narrow, but the trend is significant. In 2021, 12 percent of Black Georgians in that age bracket reported cognitive decline, so the rate has risen by seven percentage points in a few years. The same report notes that, nationally, older Black Americans are twice as likely as older white Americans to have Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.
Who Participates Shapes What Researchers Learn
The research gap is not only about fairness. Much of the existing Alzheimer’s evidence comes from well-educated, higher-income, non-Hispanic white participants, largely because they have had the time and resources to take part in studies. When one group dominates the data, diagnostic tools and study criteria end up calibrated to that group.
Dr. Antoine R. Trammell’s published work, as described by Atlanta News First, links lower minority participation to several factors. These include socioeconomic barriers, disproportionate exclusion by screening criteria, less access to specialist care, and fewer professional referrals. The same findings suggest cognitive decline symptoms may present differently in some communities, which can delay diagnosis.
Emory researchers have also said they aim to reach participants across a range of education levels, careers, and incomes, not only across racial groups. A study sample that reflects Atlanta’s full population produces findings that apply to more of Atlanta.
Atlanta Institutions Anchor the Outreach Model
The Emory model depends on local partners. The study found that sustained relationships with trusted community organizations, rather than one-off campaigns, were closely tied to higher enrollment. In practice, that means Black churches, neighborhood centers, and the recurring men’s program at the institute.
Public funding supports the work. The study received backing from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging and from the Georgia Department of Human Services through Georgia Memory Net. That state involvement signals that Georgia views the research gap as a public health planning issue, not only an academic one.
Emory Researchers Name the Next Questions
The Emory team acknowledges limits in its own findings. The authors say future studies should examine whether participants recruited through community outreach stay enrolled over the long term, and whether the approach can be scaled to other regions and populations.
Retention is the harder test. Enrolling a participant is one step. Keeping that person engaged through years of follow-up visits, which Alzheimer’s research requires, is another. The Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center currently lists several actively enrolling long-term projects, including the Emory Healthy Brain Study, which focuses on identifying biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
For Atlanta, the program is a working example of academic research that begins with a community’s own questions. The monthly sessions are not a treatment program and make no claim to prevent dementia. Their purpose is to ensure that when researchers in Atlanta study Alzheimer’s disease, the people most at risk in Georgia are included in the data.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is based on publicly available research, government data, and reporting cited in the article. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Statistics regarding Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive impairment describe population-level findings and do not determine an individual’s risk or health status. Readers with concerns about memory, cognitive changes, or dementia should consult a qualified healthcare professional. Research findings and public health data may be updated as new evidence becomes available.
FAQs
What is Emory doing to increase Black participation in Alzheimer’s research?
The Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute holds monthly community sessions for Black men that focus on health education and aging. The sessions also serve as recruitment opportunities for Alzheimer’s disease research studies.
Who led the Emory study on Alzheimer’s research recruitment?
Dr. Antoine R. Trammell led the study with Dr. James J. Lah and Dr. Monica W. Parker, all faculty at Emory University School of Medicine. It was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia in January 2026.
Are Black Americans at higher risk for dementia?
Older Black Americans are twice as likely as older white Americans to have Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, according to data cited by the Georgia Department of Public Health. In Georgia, 19 percent of Black adults age 45 and older report cognitive impairment.
Why are clinical trials missing Black participants?
Researchers point to socioeconomic barriers, exclusion by screening criteria, limited access to specialist care, and fewer professional referrals. Historical distrust of medical research also plays a role.
Who funded the Emory Alzheimer’s outreach research?
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging and by the Georgia Department of Human Services through Georgia Memory Net.
