Wayne State University

Aim Higher

Our Purpose

We are educators, professionals, volunteers and advisors committed to improving the health of older African Americans in Detroit. The University of Michigan and Wayne State University provide the faculty who jointly lead the Healthier Black Elders Center initiative. Through a combination of research and education, we change lives by engaging the community, its leaders, health professionals, and researchers, through the following programs:

  • We train healthcare professionals to assess and treat older African Americans
  • We share best research practices with universities, the community and healthcare providers
  • We train scholars to research the health of older African Americans
  • We educate the public about: Arthritis, Blood Pressure, Cancer, Caregiving, Dementia, Depression, Diabetes, Falls and Balance, Heart Disease, Nutrition, Pain and Palliative Care, Prostate Cancer, Sexually Transmitted Disease, and other topics relevant to successful aging

For more information about our community learning series, contact: Patricita Ann Rencher at 313-664-2626 or patrencher@wayne.edu

Our core goal is to encourage older African American adults to consider participating in research. Research is critical to understanding why African Americans are at much higher risk of developing certain diseases and why these diseases have a greater impact on their health and longevity. We’ve worked to correct this problem by creating a Participant Resource Pool (PRP). If you agree to be part of the PRP, the center guarantees that:

  • All research projects meet the highest quality federal state and university standards
  • Your information will be handled with the strictest confidence
  • You will be considered for research that is of interest to you
  • You have the right to decline a research project for any reason at any time

Participate in Research
HBEC Newsletter
HBEC Brochure - More Information for people intertested in participating in research
Apply to gain access to Research Volunteer Pool
HBEC & Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research (MCUAAAR) - Website
Calendar of Events - for Seniors and Caregivers
Calendar of Events - for Professsionals & Students