How childhood adversity affects aging and health risks
Official title: Childhood Adversity and Biological Mechanisms of Accelerated Aging
Funded at Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital · NIH-10905770 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how tough experiences in childhood, like abuse or trauma, can affect your health as you get older, especially how they might speed up aging and lead to problems like obesity and heart disease, with the hope of finding new ways to help those who have gone through these challenges.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Riverside, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 4, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $274,595 |
| NIH project number | 1R21HD115343-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10905770 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals who experienced childhood maltreatment or trauma and are now facing health challenges.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not experienced significant childhood adversity may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how early life adversities, such as maltreatment and trauma, impact biological aging and health outcomes later in life. It focuses on the role of mitochondrial function and DNA alterations as potential mechanisms linking childhood stress to increased risks of diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular issues. By analyzing data from a longitudinal study, the research aims to uncover the biological pathways that contribute to accelerated aging in individuals who experienced early adversity. The findings could lead to new prevention and treatment strategies for those affected.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved understanding and interventions for health issues related to childhood adversity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the links between childhood adversity and health outcomes, suggesting that this approach is both relevant and potentially impactful.
Where this research is happening
-
Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital
Riverside, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tyrka, Audrey — Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital
- Study coordinator: Tyrka, Audrey
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.