UCLA Fielding School of Public Health researcher recognized for work on Alzheimer’s disease
Dr. Roch Nianogo, assistant professor of epidemiology, was honored by the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust with the 2022 Toffler Scholar Award.
Dr. Roch Nianogo, an assistant professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, has been named a 2022 recipient of the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust’s Toffler Scholar Award for his ongoing research into preventing Alzheimer’s disease in vulnerable populations.
“I am honored, and especially pleased, by this award because of the Toffler Trust’s dedication to recognizing and advancing high-impact, early-stage medical research,” said Nianogo, who teaches in the Department of Epidemiology. “As a physician and a scientist, my goal is to help reduce the burden of preventable chronic diseases through the development and application of cutting-edge epidemiologic methods that use computational modeling and simulation - the tools of data science.”
The Toffler Scholar Program partners with universities and research organizations working to advance high-impact, early-stage medical research. It exists to help young researchers at a pivotal point in their careers by creating a bridge to a phase where large research grants are more available. To date, KTCT has donated $222,500 to UCLA; six faculty and doctoral students have earned awards.
“The Toffler Scholar Program is powering bold and innovative research by our early career public health researchers, like Dr. Nianogo, who represent the future research leaders in our field,” said UCLA Fielding School dean and distinguished professor of biostatistics Dr. Ron Brookmeyer. “We are grateful for the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust’s continued commitment to investing in the bright and promising minds at the Fielding School.”
Together, researchers at UCLA and KTCT are doing their part to help solve some of the world’s most intractable problems. The human toll of neurological conditions is tremendous. With dementia alone, these medical breakthroughs could reduce the 10 million new global cases annually. It is part of the commitment by the charitable organization to carry on the legacy of their founders, best-selling authors Alvin and Heidi Toffler, by investing in work with the potential for a deep impact on humanity’s future.
“It’s our responsibility and our privilege to welcome these visionary partners into the enduring commitment set by the Tofflers,” said Rebecca Bartoli, executive director of the Trust. “Without these brilliant scientists, we couldn’t move the Toffler’s vision forward, and without us, these researchers might not advance as quickly. It’s a true partnership, creating a better future through science.”
Nianogo has taught at UCLA since 2018. He earned his MD at the Université de Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and his MPH (‘13) and PhD (‘17) from the UCLA Fielding School.
The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, founded in 1961, is dedicated to enhancing the public's health by conducting innovative research, training future leaders and health professionals from diverse backgrounds, translating research into policy and practice, and serving our local communities and the communities of the nation and the world. The school has 761 students from 26 nations engaged in carrying out the vision of building healthy futures in greater Los Angeles, California, the nation and the world.
Faculty Referenced by this Article
Robert J. Kim-Farley, MD, MPH, is a Professor-in-Residence with joint appointments in the Departments of Epidemiology and Community Health Sciences
Dr. Joseph Davey is an infectious disease epidemiologist with over 20 years' experience leading research on HIV/STI services for women and children.
Automated and accessible artificial intelligence methods and software for biomedical data science.
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