Aging Research in Sleep Equity and Dementia Prevention

02/06/2026

✨ Continuing Our Feature Friday Spotlight: Honoring Community Leadership ✨

In June 2025, Dr. Omonigho Michael Bubu MD PhD MPH was honored with a Certificate of Award for Distinguished Service from All Saints Anglican Church in Queens, New York, recognizing his outstanding contributions to healthcare and service to the community.🏅

This award reflects Dr. Bubu’s continued commitment to advancing brain health, addressing health disparities, and engaging meaningfully with underserved communities through research, education, and service. We’re proud to celebrate this recognition and the impact of community-centered leadership in healthcare.💜

02/05/2026

It's throwback Thursday!✨

🔊 Community Conversation Recap: Sleep, Brain Health & Alzheimer’s Disease

Last Thursday, we were honored to take part in a meaningful community conversation on Alzheimer’s disease and the critical role of sleep in brain health, hosted by Roxanne Persaud with the Alzheimer's Association®

Dr. Omonigho Michael Bubu MD PhD MPH joined as a featured speaker, sharing powerful insights on how sleep impacts cognitive aging, brain function, and long-term dementia risk. The discussion highlighted the importance of quality sleep, early awareness, and prevention, especially within communities that are often underserved.

The live Facebook webinar created space for thoughtful questions, shared experiences, and practical guidance around healthy brain habits, early detection, and available resources. Community members engaged actively, reinforcing just how vital accessible, science-based education is to promoting brain health.

We are deeply grateful to Senator Persaud, the Alzheimer’s Association, Dr. Bubu, and everyone who joined us for this important conversation. Events like these reflect our shared commitment to community-centered education, health equity, and building a healthier future one conversation at a time.

Together, we continue to elevate awareness around Alzheimer’s disease and why sleep matters more than we realize. 💜

02/02/2026

This February, we honor Black leaders, researchers, caregivers, and advocates who continue to strengthen our communities and advance equity in brain health.

At ARISE-DP, our work is rooted in addressing health disparities and elevating research, prevention, and care for populations that have been historically underserved and underrepresented.

While we recognize Black History Month each February, we also acknowledge that Black history, leadership, and impact are lived and made every day. This month, and every month, we remain committed to advancing brain health equity through research, education, and community-centered action.

02/02/2026

✨ Feature Fridays at ARISE-DP ✨

We’re kicking off a new series to highlight and celebrate the incredible people who make our work possible starting with two leaders whose partnership reflects the very heart of our mission.

This year, we proudly celebrate Dr. Joshua Gills and Dr. Omonigho Michael Bubu MD PhD MPH whose mentorship, collaboration, and scientific excellence continue to move sleep and Alzheimer’s disease research forward.

👏 Dr. Joshua Gills, Postdoctoral Fellow, received the 2025 Outstanding Post-Doc Award at NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Postdoc Slam, recognizing his impactful work in sleep, cognition, and Alzheimer’s research and his gift for translating complex science into compelling, accessible insights. His standout year also included the Most Data in One Minute Award at the 2025 Advances in Circadian and Sleep Science Conference, along with selection as a SOAR Fellow (AASM), SEE-Diversity Fellow, and BRAINS Affiliate.

This success is strengthened by the leadership of Dr. Omonigho Michael Bubu, founding Director of ARISE-DP, who celebrated seven years at NYU Langone Health this summer. A physician-scientist and nationally recognized mentor, Dr. Bubu’s work has reshaped how we understand sleep, cognitive aging, and Alzheimer’s disease particularly through an equity-focused lens. His dedication to mentorship and community impact has earned him NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s 2024 Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award and NYC’s 2025 Outstanding Community/Service Award.

Together, Dr. Bubu and Dr. Gills exemplify the ARISE-DP mission: advancing innovative science, uplifting the next generation of researchers, and building meaningful community partnerships to promote brain health for all.
Stay tuned as we continue to spotlight the amazing people behind our work 💜

01/13/2026

We’re excited to welcome a new member to our aging research team focused on sleep health and dementia prevention 🔎🧠

Kaitlyn Purdy, Research Data Associate

She brings strong training in public health research methods and a passion for applying data to real-world health challenges. Her expertise will strengthen our work to better understand how sleep patterns affect cognitive health in aging populations and to advance dementia prevention through improved sleep health.

Please join us in welcoming Kaitlyn to the team! 🎉

12/29/2025

🌙 Reflecting on Sleep Health Equity as 2025 Comes to a Close 🌙

As we approach the end of 2025, we’re proud to share a new policy brief from the Community Engagement Pillar at NYU’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE): Sleep Health Equity Policy Brief.

Guided by Dr. Omonigho Michael Bubu MD PhD MPH and colleagues across IEHE, this work explores ways to address disparities in sleep health and promote equitable access to restorative sleep for all communities. This brief highlights actionable strategies for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to ensure healthy sleep is accessible to everyone.

As 2025 ends, this brief reminds us of the power of research, policy, and community engagement to drive meaningful change. Wishing everyone a peaceful holiday season and a well-rested start to 2026!

💡 Read the full brief here:

NYU Langone’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity offers a Health Policy Brief Series featuring research on critical health equity topics.

12/24/2025

As 2025 draws to a close, we reflect with gratitude on another year of meaningful collaboration and progress in Alzheimer’s research, sleep equity, and dementia prevention.

This year, the ARISE-DP Network has been fortunate to partner with dedicated researchers, clinicians, and advocates committed to making a real impact, not just in our scientific work, but also in the communities we serve.

We recently gathered for our annual holiday celebration, a special moment to connect, reflect on our achievements, and celebrate milestones reached together. From culturally tailored research approaches to community-focused initiatives, 2025 has been a year of innovation and inclusion, with a focus on making research accessible and welcoming to all participants. 🌟✨

Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season full of peace, warmth, and well-deserved rest. We look forward to continuing our impactful work and collaborations in 2026. Here’s to a bright, hopeful, and inspiring year ahead! 🕊️🎄

12/23/2025

✨ It’s that time of year again! ✨

We’re proud to share the ARISE-DP 2024–2025 Annual Report, highlighting our lab’s ongoing work at the intersection of sleep equity, aging, and dementia prevention.

This year’s report captures our multidisciplinary efforts to better understand how sleep disparities contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) risk, particularly among historically marginalized and underserved populations. Our findings continue to highlight the critical role of sleep health in cognitive aging and point to promising, equity-driven prevention and intervention strategies.

As we move forward, ARISE-DP is setting ambitious goals to:
✔️ Strengthen community-engaged research and outreach
✔️ Expand access to sleep assessment and monitoring tools
✔️ Advance clinical and translational studies targeting early cognitive decline

We believe that addressing sleep inequities is a powerful pathway toward reducing dementia disparities, and we remain committed to translating research into meaningful, real-world impact.

📘 Read the full 2024–2025 Annual Report to learn more about our research, partnerships, and future directions.

Link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/arise-dp_arise-dp-2024-2025-annual-report-activity-7408990595936956417-rjNm?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAEf0Xy0BlGJlTkkPfJsSs8i59RNq6Tnra2c

✨ It’s that time of year again! ✨ We’re proud to share the ARISE-DP 2024–2025 Annual Report, highlighting our lab’s ongoing work at the intersection of sleep equity, aging, and dementia prevention. This year’s report captures our multidisciplinary efforts to better understand how sleep...

11/20/2025

This past weekend, the ARISE-DP team had the honor of participating in the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Central Park. It was a beautiful day filled with energy, connection, purpose, and we truly had such a fun time being part of it.

We joined thousands of community members, caregivers, advocates, and organizations walking in solidarity to raise awareness, honor loved ones and support the ongoing fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

At our table, we shared resources on:

🧠 Healthy sleep habits
💤 How sleep and brain health are connected
🌿 Tips for healthy aging
🔬 Information about our ARISE-DP research programs

Events like these remind us how meaningful community engagement can be, especially as we work to address the disproportionate impact of Alzheimer’s on minority communities.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to learn, connect, and share stories with us. And thank you to the Alzheimer's Association- New York City Chapter for putting together such a powerful and uplifting event. 💜

11/12/2025

The 2025 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting reminded us that “girls just wanna have funding… and a seat at the table.” 💜

Last week, our Research Data Analyst, Anamarie Sogade, proudly represented ARISE-DP at the nation’s largest public health gathering — the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo. The conference brought together thousands of leaders, researchers, and advocates dedicated to advancing health equity, strengthening systems of care, and driving evidence-based solutions for communities nationwide.

We’re also thrilled to celebrate our lab alumna, Tolualase Akinluyi, who was selected to present her insightful work on national framework reform in healthcare, inspired by successful models from around the world. Her presentation encouraged meaningful dialogue on transformation, equity, and the “what’s next” in public health innovation.

We’re proud to see our current and former team members continuing to spark change, build connections, and champion a healthier, more equitable future for all. 💜

11/03/2025

🌟7th Annual Psychiatry Research Day at NYU Grossman School of Medicine 🌟

Last Thursday, October 30th, 2025, the Department of Psychiatry hosted its 7th Annual Psychiatry Research Day at Murphy Hall Auditorium bringing together faculty, trainees, and research staff to celebrate innovation and collaboration across psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Our team was proud to present a series of abstracts highlighting ongoing work in sleep, cognition, and Alzheimer’s disease research, with a focus on addressing racial and sex-specific differences in these important areas.

🧠 Our Presentations Included:
Associations of Sleepiness Scores and Cognitive Performance in Cognitively Normal Non-Sleepy Older Adults – Examining for Race and S*x-specific Differences – Rachel McCray
Race and S*x-specific Associations of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Subjective Cognitive Decline in a Sample of Community-Dwelling Older Adults – Adwoa Amponsah
The Effects of Culturally Adapted Recruitment Strategies for Black/African Americans’ Engagement with Alzheimer’s Disease Research in New York City – Anamarie Sogade
Measuring Sleep Between S*x: Accuracy, Sensitivity, and Specificity of Wrist Actigraphy Compared to Polysomnography – Myra Dhingra
Race and S*x-specific Associations of Sleepiness Scores and SIMOA-Assessed Plasma AD Biomarkers in Cognitively Normal Non-Sleepy Older Adults – Joanna Dominguez

👏 Congratulations to all presenters and attendees for contributing to a successful and inspiring Research Day!

10/24/2025

💜 ARISE-DP at the CaringKind Alzheimer’s Walk NYC! 🏙️

This past Saturday, October 18th, our ARISE-DP team joined the CaringKind - The Heart of Alzheimer's Caregiving Alzheimer’s Walk in New York City to show our support for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

It was an inspiring day filled with community, advocacy, and hope. Walking alongside caregivers, researchers, and supporters reminded us why our work to advance sleep equity, brain health, and dementia prevention, matters so deeply.

We’re grateful to CaringKind for bringing the community together and to everyone who walked, donated, and shared in this mission to create a future without Alzheimer’s. 💜