Jaime Perales Puchalt, PhD, MPH

Professional Background

Jaime Perales Puchalt, Ph.D., MPH, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. His background is in psychology and public health. In addition to conducting research in Spain, England and the United States, Perales Puchalt has collaborated with teams from other countries in the European Union and the Americas.

With a primary focus on reducing Latino dementia disparities, his research has led to the development of a dementia educational/recruitment tool for Latinos. He currently leads federally funded grants to understand and reduce disparities in dementia care among Latinos. One of those grants includes the first text message caregiver support program for Latino family caregivers (CuidaTEXT).

Dr. Perales Puchalt is also interested in the science of recruitment. He leads the Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement Core at the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, co-leads the national Alzheimer's Disease/Down Syndrome Engagement Core, and is a Steering Committee Member of the national Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers’ Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement Core.

Dr. Perales Puchalt holds a Ph.D. in biomedicine and public health and a MPH in public health from the University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. He also has a MSc in psychology from the University of Valencia. He joined the KU ADRC in 2017 after a postdoctoral position at JUNTOS: Center for Advancing Latino Health at KU Medical Center.

• BS, Psychology, Universitat de València, València, Spain
• MSC, Psychology, Universitat de València, València, Spain
• MPH, Public Health, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
• PhD, Public Health, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Community-based health research among Latinos and mHealth, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Alzheimer’s Disease, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS

• Gerontological Society of America, Member, 2022 - Present
• Hispanic Neuropsychological Society, Hispanic Neuropsychological Society Science committee, Consultant, 2022 - 2022
• Hispanic Neuropsychological Society, Hispanic Neuropsychological Society Science committee, Co-Chair, 2019 - 2021
• Hispanic Neuropsychological Society, Hispanic Neuropsychological Society, Member, 2017 - Present
• American Psychological Association, Member, 2011 - Present

Research

Overview

My personal experience with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) provides me a specialized niche in which I can impact individuals and families around the world by reducing the threat of ADRD. Up to now, I have contributed to my field by gaining a unique experience in different research methodologies including epidemiological research and clinical trials in population, clinical and community settings. I have worked with multiple populations who experience a disproportionate risk of ADRD or its consequences. These groups tend to also be the ones most neglected in science, as the external validity of many studies is often overlooked.

With a primary focus on reducing Latino dementia disparities, my research has led to the development of a dementia educational/recruitment tool for Latinos. I have also developed the first text message caregiver support program (CuidaTEXT/CareTEXT), which is especially important for Latino family caregivers, given the barriers they experience and that they are the highest users of text messages.

• Differential Effects of Exercise Modality on Cognition and Brain in Older Adults, NIH
• Core B: Alzheimer's Disease Down Syndrome Outreach Recruitment and Education (ADDORE) Core, NIA via university of Pittsbourgh
• Feasibility of a Novel Systems Approach for Improving Utilization of Alzheimer's Disease Services Among Latinos Attending Primary Care Practices, NIH, PI
• Testing the effects of a text message caregiver support intervention for Latinos. , NIH, PI

• Perales-Puchalt, Jaime, Barton, Kelli, Ptomey, Lauren., T, Niedens, C.., Michelle, Yeager, Amy, Gilman, Laura, Seymour, Pam, George, Amanda, Sprague, Susan., C., Neira, Antonio., Mirás, Van Dyke, Rik, Teri, Linda, Vidoni, Eric., D. 2020. Effectiveness of “Reducing Disability in Alzheimer’s Disease” among dyads with moderate dementia. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.07.20056705
• Perales-Puchalt, Jaime, Shaw, Ashley, McGee, Jerrihlyn., L., Moore, W.., Todd, Hinton, Ladson, Resendez, Jason, Monroe, Stephanie, Dwyer, John, Vidoni, Eric., D.. 2020. Preliminary Efficacy of a Recruitment Educational Strategy on Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge, Research Participation Attitudes, and Enrollment Among Hispanics. Hispanic health care international : the official journal of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, 18 (3), 144-149. https://doi.org/10.1177/1540415319893238
• Shaw, Ashley., R., Perales-Puchalt, Jaime, Valdivieso-Mora, Esmeralda, McGee, Jerrihlyn., L., Vaduvathiriyan, Prasanna, Vidoni, Eric., D.. 2022. Effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions on cognitive function among non-demented African American and Latino older adults in the USA: a scoping review. Ethnicity & Health, 27 (4), 929-945. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2020.1828292
• Perales, J, Moore, W., T, Fernandez, C, Chavez, D, Ramirez, M, Johnson, D, Resendez, J, Bueno, C, Vidoni, E., D. 2020. Feasibility of an Alzheimer's disease knowledge intervention in the Latino community.. Ethnicity & health, 25 (5), 747-758
• Perales-Puchalt, Jaime, Acosta-Rullán, Mariola, Ramírez-Mantilla, Mariana, Espinoza-Kissell, Paul, Vidoni, Eric., D., Niedens, Michelle, Ellerbeck, Edward., F., Hinton, Ladson, Loera, Linda, Ramírez, A.., Susana, Lara, Esther, Watts, Amber, Williams, Kristine, Resendez, Jason, Burns, Jeffrey. 2021. Development of CuidaTEXT: a text message intervention to support Latino dementia family caregivers. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.06.21267369
• Perales-Puchalt, Jaime, Ramírez-Mantilla, Mariana, Fracachán-Cabrera, Mónica, Vidoni, Eric., D., Ellerbeck, Edward., F., Ramírez, A.., Susana, Watts, Amber, Williams, Kristine, Burns, Jeffrey. 2024. A text message intervention to support latino dementia family caregivers (CuidaTEXT): feasibility study. Clinical Gerontologist, 47 (1), 50-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2022.2137449