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AUSTIN, Texas – January 30, 2026 – The Texas Department of State Health Services has announced continued funding through August 2027 for the evidence-based “Interprofessional Curriculum Approach to Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias” project. This  $1.45 million initiative is designed to strengthen dementia care training for future healthcare providers over four years (FY24-FY27).

Led by Principal Investigators Alyssa Aguirre, LCSW from Dell Medical School and Dr. Jung Kwak from the School of Nursing, the four-year grant supports the development and implementation of a comprehensive interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum. The curriculum equips students across diverse healthcare disciplines with essential skills to address the growing challenges of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Following a successful pilot program in Spring 2025 that engaged 58 undergraduate and graduate students from multiple healthcare programs, the project is expanding across schools, colleges, and universities throughout Texas and the United States. The curriculum features facilitator guides, educational videos, and interactive classroom activities designed to foster collaborative, patient-centered dementia care.

“Curricula like this are essential for strengthening the dementia and geriatrics workforce by addressing critical gaps in training and preparedness,” said Alyssa Aguirre. Dr. Jung Kwak added, “Our pilot evaluation shows that interprofessional education can meaningfully improve student learning and readiness for future practice.”

The project has received national recognition, with presentations at the 10th Annual Health Care Conference at The University Health Science Center in San Antonio (April 2025), the national Nexxus Summit (September 2025), the international Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston (November 2025), and the Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium in Austin (January 2026).

Participants who complete all modules and participate in the synchronous learning experience can earn the Brain Health and Dementia Care microcredential, a digital badge that can be added to their resumes and professional online profiles.

The initiative is funded by the Department of State Health Services through the The University of Texas at Austin Center for Health Interprofessional Practice and Education.

Call for Faculty Champions

UT Austin faculty members interested in incorporating this evidence-based curriculum into their 2026 Spring 2026, Summer 2026, or Fall 2026 coursework are invited to participate as Champions. For more information, contact Alyssa Aguirre at alyssa.aguirre@austin.utexas.edu.

Jung Kwak, PhD, MSW, FGSA, associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, has received the Health IT Speedy Proposal Assistance and Research Knowledge (Health IT SPARK) Grant from the UT Austin School of Nursing’s Center for Healthcare Innovation and Technology Advancements (CHITA), supported by the Dean’s Office.

https://nursing.utexas.edu/news/jung-kwak-awarded-health-it-spark-grant-advance-dementia-care-innovation

Jung Kwak, PhD, MSW, FGSA, associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, has been awarded a Faculty Travel Planning Grant from Texas Global to support a cross-national collaboration aimed at advancing person-centered dementia care in aging societies.

https://nursing.utexas.edu/news/jung-kwak-awarded-texas-global-faculty-travel-planning-grant-support-international-dementia

More than 55 million people have dementia worldwide with nearly 10 million new cases every year, according to the World Health Organization. Dementia is currently the seventh leading cause of death and one of the major causes of disability and dependency among the elderly globally. 

School of Nursing Associate Professor Jung Kwak, PhD, MSW, FGSA, wants to help persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers during hospital transitions. 

https://nursing.utexas.edu/news/jung-kwak-leads-research-efforts-help-persons-living-dementia-and-family-caregivers-during

Jung Kwak, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Nursing, and Alyssa Aguirre, LCSW, assistant director of dementia care transformation in the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School, received a grant from the Texas Department of State Health Services, in June 2024, to develop an innovative education and training program focused on supporting individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) along with their caregivers. 

https://nursing.utexas.edu/news/ut-austin-receives-grant-design-texas-wide-training-alzheimers-care

Jung Kwak, PhD, MSW, FGSA, associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, was awarded a Sojourns® Scholar Leadership Program award by the Cambia Health Foundation. She was one of ten emerging palliative care leaders selected from among a competitive pool of applicants. The two-year grant of $180,000 will allow Dr. Kwak to conduct an innovative research project in the field of palliative care.

https://nursing.utexas.edu/news/palliative-and-long-term-care-leadership-leads-prestigious-national-award