Health, caregiving, memory, and family well‑being across generations
Health, Caregiving, Cognition, and Well-being Over the Life Course and Across Multiple Generations
Gathering nationwide family health, caregiving, and memory information to help people and families affected by Alzheimer's and related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11052798 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You or your family would be invited to take part in national surveys in 2025 and 2027 that ask about health, income, and how you use your time. In 2026 there will be a new caregiving and memory questionnaire asking about your experiences caring for someone with memory problems and about early memory changes. Participants may also be asked to provide a saliva sample so researchers can study genes across generations. The project follows families across decades, linking parents and children so researchers can see how social, economic, and biological factors relate to memory and caregiving over the life course.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are U.S. adults and families across ages—including older adults at risk for dementia, their adult children, and family caregivers—who can complete surveys and provide optional saliva samples.
Not a fit: People seeking direct medical treatment or experimental therapies are unlikely to receive direct health benefits from this survey-based and genetic data collection, and non-U.S. residents would generally not be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the data could help identify early signs of dementia, reveal how caregiving affects families, and guide better supports and policies for people with Alzheimer's and their caregivers.
How similar studies have performed: The PSID has successfully collected multi-decade data and produced thousands of publications, though combining the new caregiving and cognition supplement with multi-generational genomic samples is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Friedman, Esther M. — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Friedman, Esther M.
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 below.