University of Iowa College of Public Health faculty member Kanika Arora has been selected to receive a Carver Trust Associate Professor Advancement Award. The award is intended to support the advancement of associate professors to full professors. 

Arora, an associate professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy, will use the funding to advance her research focused on aging and caregiving in rural populations, particularly dementia among agricultural workers. She has previously examined dementia in agricultural settings, leading to both research publications and grant funding. Notably, Arora demonstrated a higher prevalence of dementia and cognitive impairment among older Americans who have worked long-term in agriculture.

She also has shown that older agricultural workers with dementia who receive trauma care experience a distinct injury profile in terms of mechanisms and severity. Currently, Arora is funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health through the University of Iowa’s Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health to develop and deliver an educational intervention for farm families affected by dementia.

Aims for This Award

For the Associate Professor Advancement Award (APAA), Arora will collaborate with a PhD student from the College of Public Health to conduct preliminary research justifying the scientific premise of a future R01 proposal. The APAA will provide funding to support the graduate student in assisting with preparatory work, data analysis, and manuscript preparation.

The intended R01 proposal will aim to develop and test the effectiveness of an innovative intervention designed to engage community partners and enhance the knowledge and skills of rural health care professionals and agricultural health and safety providers. The goal is to better address the unique needs of farm families caring for aging farmers with dementia.

The College of Public Health Associate Professor Advancement Award is co-funded by the CPH Research Office and the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, one of the largest private philanthropic foundations in the state of Iowa. The Carver Trust supports biomedical and scientific research, scholarships, and programs addressing the educational and recreational needs of youth.