AI to uncover biological causes of exceptional longevity and links to Alzheimer's
Official title: AI-powered cross-level cross-species omics data integration to elucidate mechanisms of EL
Funded at Northeastern University · NIH-11419060 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses artificial intelligence to combine gene, protein, and metabolite data across species to find biological processes that promote long life and may protect against Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northeastern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,280,881 |
| NIH project number | 7R33AG083302-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11419060 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would include people with Alzheimer's, older adults, or individuals/families known for exceptional longevity who can share health records or biological samples.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking an immediate therapy are unlikely to benefit directly because this is preclinical and computational research that may lead to future trials rather than a near-term treatment.
What this research studies
From a patient's view, researchers will bring together large sets of molecular data (DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites) from humans and model organisms to look for shared patterns tied to exceptional longevity. They will build interpretable deep-learning models designed to point to likely causal mechanisms rather than just correlations. Promising molecular targets will be tested in lab models such as C. elegans and through systems pharmacology approaches aimed at Alzheimer's. The team will work to overcome common AI problems like high dimensional data, confounders, and black-box models so findings are more biologically meaningful.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new biomarkers or drug targets that slow aging-related decline and lower Alzheimer's risk.
How similar studies have gone: Related AI and multi-omics projects have produced promising leads, but fully interpretable, cross-species causal frameworks remain largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Northeastern University
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xie, Lei — Northeastern University
- Study coordinator: Xie, Lei
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.