September 7, 2021
 
Dara James, a postdoctoral fellow in the CHPDP, received a 2-year National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program (LRP) award through the National Institutes on Aging (NIA). The LRP is a highly competitive program "designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professional into biomedical and biobehavioral research careers” by repaying qualified educational debt. Dr. James’ research project, titled “Prolonged nightly fasting in aging adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI): A pilot study to explore changes in neurocognitive function," aims to understand if intermittent fasting can improve cognitive function and well-being among adults with MCI.

“I am honored and grateful to receive this award through NIA. The LRP significantly reduces the burden of student loans for myself and my family while allowing me to focus on research and training to make a more significant contribution to the health sciences, particularly in the fields of cognitive function and neurodegenerative diseases," stated James. “There is a significant need for immediate interventions and programs to improve cognitive function and slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases - we are hopeful this project will be a steppingstone in that direction. Many thanks to my outstanding team of mentors at ASU and to NIA for making this possible!”

Her mentorship team includes Drs. Linda Larkey, David Coon, and Molly Maxfield (Edson College), and Drs. Dorothy Sears and Edward Ofori (College of Health Solutions). Congratulations to Dr. James!

Visit the NIH LRP website for more information about this program.