Adrissi Lab

Health Services Research

Clinical Trial Enrollment Infograph
(Adrissi and Fleisher, 2022)

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the United States with an estimated 90,000 people diagnosed every year in North America alone (Willis et al., 2022). Although PD affects all races and ethnicities, most PD research predominately includes participants of European descent, limiting our understanding and management of the disease in minority populations, including Black communities. Past research has demonstrated significant disparities from diagnosis to outcomes for Black people living with PD including higher rate of delayed or missed diagnoses, lower likelihood of receiving medical or surgical PD treatments (Adrissi and Fleisher, 2022). 

The Adrissi Lab uses community based participatory research (CBPR) strategies to develop and test solutions to disparities in PD access and research engagement. We do this by: 

  • Developing and studying culturally informed and tailored resources for people with neurodegenerative disorders and their families 
  • Partnering with community organizations to increase PD awareness, access, and research participation using mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative research design) to investigate contributors to disparities in PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.  
  • Developing community-partnered  interventions and tools to increase the access to specialized PD care and research participation among underrepresented groups

Alzheimer’s Disease

Black Americans are twice as likely as White Americans to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) (Lin et al., 2021). According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alzheimer's is one of the top 5 leading causes of death in adults over 65 with an estimated 6 million Americans currently living with the disease. With the aging population, that number number is expected to double in less than 40 years (CDC, 2023). 

Community Engaged Research

The Adrissi Lab centers the community throughout the research process from project development to communication of project results. Parkinson’s C.O.R.E. Collaborative (PCC), an academic-community alliance founded by Dr. Adrissi, partners with community organizations in Los Angeles County to promote brain health, and investigate ways to better understand the burden of neurological conditions in the Black community, and develop potential solutions for disparities in the field. To do this, a community advisory council composed of people living with PD, care partners, community leaders, and other key stakeholders will be established to ensure that our work is sustainable, inclusive, culturally tailored, and mutually beneficial.