Anti-racist nature-based healing to slow cellular aging in young BIPOC adults
Official title: Examining Anti-Racist Healing in Nature to Protect Telomeres of Transitional Age BIPOC for Health Equity.
Funded at San Francisco State University · NIH-11370386 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether community-led, culturally grounded nature healing programs can reduce stress and protect cellular markers of aging in transitional-age BIPOC adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Francisco State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 23, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $184,239 |
| NIH project number | 3U01ES036366-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370386 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are BIPOC adults in the transitional-age range (about 21 years and older) who can attend community-based nature programs and provide biological samples.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not BIPOC, who fall well outside the targeted age range, who cannot attend local in-person sessions, or who already have advanced chronic disease may not benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
You would be invited to community-prioritized nature healing activities shaped by ancestral practices from BIPOC communities and delivered in low-resource, culturally appropriate settings. Researchers will collect biological samples (such as saliva or blood) to measure stress hormones like cortisol and telomere length before and after the program. The project pairs community engagement with biological measurements to see if these interventions reduce embodied stress in young adults. The emphasis is on affordable, sustainable approaches meant to lower future chronic disease risk in BIPOC communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower stress and slow markers of biological aging, potentially reducing future chronic disease risk for participating BIPOC young adults.
How similar studies have gone: Past studies show nature exposure and culturally tailored programs can reduce stress and improve well-being, but using anti-racist nature healing to protect telomeres is relatively new and not yet well established.
Where this research is happening
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marquez-Magana, Leticia Maria — San Francisco State University
- Study coordinator: Marquez-Magana, Leticia Maria
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.