Research Center: Boston University
Locations: Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (72 East Concord St, Boston, MA) and Boston University Kilachand Center 610 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA)
Lead Researcher: Dr. Karin Schon
IRB: This study has been reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB no. #: H-42921)

Are you a Black adult aged 18–25? Share your experiences of stress and discrimination in a Boston University study and help researchers understand how these challenges impact mental and brain health – and how fitness might protect the brain.
Make an impact and get rewarded: earn up to $465 and receive a personalized exercise plan while contributing to research that could reduce racial health disparities in the future. Sign up today and be part of something that matters.

• Participants will be compensated up to $465 for participating in this study. Compensation will only be provided to eligible participants who complete the study.
• Participants will receive a personalized exercise plan based on their fitness results.
• Participants will receive an MRI brain scan and an estimate of aerobic fitness.
• Participants will be contributing valuable information that may benefit society in the future.
• Participants will be helping to advance medical research.

• You will receive a detailed outline of all details of the study, including risks and procedures, and you will be given the chance to ask study staff questions before you decide whether to participate.
• If you decide to participate in the study and later feel that you no longer wish to be part of it, you can withdraw at any time
• Your records relating to this study and any other information received will be kept strictly confidential, except as required by law.

Who Can Participate:

• Age between 18 and 25 years
• Generally healthy
• Must identify as Black or African American
• Must have been raised in the continental United States
• Must be available in the Boston area for two semesters
• Fluent English speaker
• Currently enrolled full-time in a Boston-area college or university, Sophomore or above (including graduate students).
• Transfer students must have been enrolled in the new college or university for a minimum of one academic year

Who Cannot Participate:

• Past or present conditions that affect cognitive functioning (e.g., learning disability, ADHD)
• Neurological conditions or disorders (e.g., head trauma, epilepsy)
• Past or present conditions contraindicated for cardiorespiratory fitness testing (e.g., chronic heart, circulatory, respiratory, musculoskeletal, or connective tissue conditions) as per ACSM guidelines
• Past or present conditions contraindicated for MRI (e.g., ferro-magnetic metal in or on the body that cannot be removed, claustrophobia, implanted medical devices unless non-ferromagnetic, breastfeeding, or pregnant)
• Poor vision that cannot be corrected with glasses or contacts, if it interferes with task performance (at PI discretion)
• Prescription medications or other drugs that affect cardio function
• Prescription medications that affect saliva sample quality
• Current conditions affecting saliva sample quality (e.g., Cushing’s disease, HIV, tobacco use, open mouth sores, periodontal disease, gingivitis)

Boston University
Boston University is an international, comprehensive, private research university, committed to educating students to be reflective, resourceful individuals ready to live, adapt, and lead in an interconnected world. Boston University is committed to generating new knowledge that will benefit society.

The study team will explain the research in its entirety, but some details include:

• Participants will be asked to attend study visits that include health and fitness screenings, treadmill-based cardiorespiratory testing, fasting blood draws, cognitive tasks, and structured interviews about mental health and experiences of racism and discrimination.
• Participants will be asked to wear an ActiGraph physical activity sensor for 7 days and complete logs for exercise, sleep, and sensor wear time. Additionally, they will collect saliva samples five times per day on two typical weekdays using an app to track collection and answer brief questions about sample quality.
• Participants will be asked to complete an MRI scan with cognitive tasks, additional structured interviews, and questionnaires on self-esteem, racial identity, and internalized racial oppression; study visits can be split into multiple sessions for convenience.