$1.45 Million Dementia Initiative Receives Continued Funding

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 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, 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 University of Texas at Austin Center for Health Interprofessional Practice and Education.