Early-life neighborhood redlining and lifetime mortality in a historical cohort
Official title: Early-Life Residence in Mortgage-Disinvested Neighborhoods and Mortality: A Novel Analysis of HOLC Grades and IPUMS MLP-Numident Data
Funded at State University of New York at Albany · NIH-11454826 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether growing up in areas graded or disinvested by HOLC in the 1930s affects mortality later in life for people born in 1930–1940.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Albany NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albany, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $452,409 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AG093550-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11454826 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals born in the 1930s–1940s whose early-life geographic exposure to HOLC grades can be reconstructed from historical data.
✕Less likely to help
There may be limited direct benefit to current patients since the cohort is historical and not currently recruited.
What this research studies
Researchers will link historical HOLC mortgage-disinvestment data to individual birth records from the 1930–1940 cohort and examine mortality outcomes across the life course. The study faces data mapping challenges, so new digital geographic methods will be developed to measure early-life exposure more accurately. The approach combines archival maps, census data, and mortality records to understand long-term effects of neighborhood disinvestment on health. The work is patient-facing in the sense that it analyzes factors that could influence the health of people who lived in historically disinvested areas. Findings could inform how early-life neighborhood conditions relate to longevity and inform housing and health policy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could improve understanding of how childhood neighborhood environments shape long-term health and mortality, potentially guiding policy to reduce disparities.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown area-based factors relate to mortality, but this project is among the few that link individual-level early-life exposure to HOLC grading with mortality.
Where this research is happening
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State University of New York at Albany
Albany, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Friedman, Samantha — State University of New York at Albany
- Study coordinator: Friedman, Samantha
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.