The focus of Dr. Wiese’s research is increasing the understanding, early detection, and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease in rural populations. This interest extends from her own mother’s diagnosis and family’s experience with dementia in her native West Virginia. Dr. Wiese is the principal investigator of a five-year $4.2 million RO1 grant from the from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with the University of Miami, Colorado State University and Washington State University. The project, “The Role of Air Quality and Built Environment in Social Isolation and Cognitive Function Among Rural, Racially/Ethnically Diverse Residents at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease,” involves adults ages 45 and older who have not been previously diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) within five communities along Lake Okeechobee.
