Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and dementia are leading causes of death in women, with dementia disproportionately affecting females. Both share risk factors such as type 2 and gestational diabetes. While diabetes and CVD risk factors are well studied, gaps remain in understanding dementia’s lifespan influences, sex-specific effects, and social determinants. This report advocates a convergence science approach, integrating basic, behavioral, and implementation sciences, to address these gaps. We propose a novel framework to examine shared cardiometabolic risks across the lifespan, enabling targeted early interventions to reduce dementia burden and improve heart-brain health outcomes in women.

Effective community engagement in T3–T4 research is widespread, however, similar stakeholder involvement is missing in T1–T2 research. As part of an effort to embed community stakeholders in T1–T2 research, an academic community partnered team conducted discussion groups with researchers to assess perspectives on (1) barriers/challenges to including community stakeholders in basic science, (2) skills/training required for stakeholders and researchers, and (3) potential benefits of these activities. Engaging community in basic science research was perceived as challenging but with exciting potential to incorporate “real-life” community health priorities into basic research, resulting in a new full-spectrum translational research model.