Exploring how work and activities affect brain health in older adults worldwide.
Official title: Engaging Aging Minds: Labor Force Participation, Stimulating Activities, and Cognitive Aging Across Diverse International Settings.
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-10939905 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how staying active and involved in different activities can help older adults in low- and middle-income countries keep their minds sharp and lower the risk of Alzheimer's and other memory issues.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 23, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $2,451,044 |
| NIH project number | 1RF1AG088005-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10939905 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older adults, particularly those living in low- and middle-income countries, who are at risk for cognitive decline.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not elderly or do not have concerns about cognitive aging may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the relationship between labor force participation, stimulating activities, and cognitive aging, particularly focusing on older adults in low- and middle-income countries. It aims to understand how staying active and engaged can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. By comparing data from diverse populations, the study seeks to identify effective strategies that promote cognitive health across different cultural and economic contexts. The findings could lead to tailored interventions that support cognitive function in aging populations globally.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide valuable insights into preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the impact of engagement on cognitive health, but this study aims to explore these effects in underrepresented populations, making it a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Yuan S — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Yuan S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
-
Understanding how brain resilience and multiple brain pathologies influence aging and Alzheimer's disease
A long-term study follows older adults to learn how resilience to brain changes helps reduce dementia risk and what biological factors are linked to better cognitive aging.
-
National Neighborhood Data Archive helps researchers study aging health in U.S. neighborhoods
A nationwide data resource will help researchers understand how where people live affects health and aging, with a focus on respiratory illnesses in older adults.
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.