Dr. Wang is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Indiana University (IU) and Adjunct Clinical Associate in Neurology and Internal Medicine, the Wesley P. Martin Endowed Scholar for Alzheimer’s Education, and Affiliated Scientist, Aging Research, Regenstrief Institute, Inc. She is also a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist and the National Institute on Aging (NIA)-designated Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (IADRC) Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core (OREC) Leader. She is a past NACC OREC Steering Committee Chair (2022-2023) and member (2021-2024). In addition to being a past recipient of the Bantz Scholar Award, she also received the 2023 IUSM Community Engagement Award and 2024 Neuroscience Institute CTSI Pilot Award and has a track record of current and past funding from NIA in Alzheimer's disease research, including a K23 and R01.
How can communities at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease and researchers work together to promote awareness about brain health, early detection of dementia, and the importance of participation?
Sophia Wang
Q and A with Sophia Wang
I first became interested in Alzheimer's disease research as a medical student. I became interested in learning more about how people's memory and thinking skills change as they get older--and why some people experience normal cognitive changes with aging and others develop abnormal changes such as Alzheimer's dementia. I then had the opportunity to serve as the Outreach Core Leader at the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and work closely with our Community Advisory Board—and build a career in community engaged research.
We are seeking to raise the importance of brain health and prevention and early detection of Alzheimer's disease, particularly in community at higher risk of this disorder.
Our research is making an impact by building educational materials to engage communities, particularly in central Indiana, to promote the importance of brain health and raising awareness about the importance of early detection of Alzheimer's disease.
My favorite part is listening to research participants' stories about the impressive life experiences they have gone through, including key historical events such as the Vietnam War.
I like to read for fun and visit National Parks.
We have trained students to be part of the Bantz project, including interviewing research participants from communities and analyzing interview data.
For this project, we have worked closely with the John Boner Center and Edna Martin Center to be part of our research.
We plan to submit a grant at how to make this information more broadly accessible across the state of Indiana and seek funding for this effort. This work is especially important with the new Alzheimer's disease drugs and blood-based biomarker tests for early detection of Alzheimer's disease.
Conversation with Sophia Wang
On Friday, December 12, 2025, from 12 noon to 1 p.m., join Sophia Wang where we will be gathering community advisory board members and community engagement researchers from IADRC and Purdue CHeqI to discuss our ongoing community-centered projects, including the Bantz funded Scholarship project, EMPOWER. We will talk about our findings about these projects, the latest developments in Alzheimer's disease, and how community voices are critical to raising awareness of early detection in those who are at higher risk for of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementias.
Interested in Becoming an IU Indianapolis TRIP Scholar?
Eligibility
IU Indianapolis faculty member conducting translational community-based research
Benefits
- Valued member of an extensive network of researchers/collaborators
- Opportunities to showcase work
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