Aging and Alzheimer’s risk in African Americans through social and environmental factors
Official title: Aging Research Characterizing Health Exposome via Social drivers (ARCHES)
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11536681 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how social and environmental factors affect Alzheimer’s risk in African American adults and aims to enroll and follow a diverse group to understand what drives memory decline.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $700,948 |
| NIH project number | 7R01AG074302-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11536681 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
African American adults without diagnosed dementia who are willing to participate in long-term follow-up and biomarker assessment.
✕Less likely to help
Participants not experiencing Alzheimer’s-related outcomes or those unwilling to commit to long-term follow-up may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will form a project advisory committee with community partners and recruit and keep African American participants to study how biomarkers and lived experiences relate to early Alzheimer’s risk. The study will look at depression, stress, and everyday life factors (the exposome) to see how they relate to cognitive decline beyond biology alone. By following participants over time, investigators hope to identify non-biological contributors to Alzheimer’s risk that could be targeted for prevention in communities that are disproportionately affected.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A better understanding of social and environmental contributors to Alzheimer's risk could lead to more targeted prevention and support for African American communities.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows the exposome can influence cognitive health, but this project extends findings to African American populations with a community-engaged approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Babulal, Ganesh M — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Babulal, Ganesh M
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.