How climate change affects older adults' health
Aging and Health in a Changing Climate
This project will build online tools and share research to help reduce how heat waves, wildfires, floods, and storms harm older people's physical and mental health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boulder, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11192891 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective as an older adult, this project creates a virtual center that brings together health, social, and environmental data to better track climate-related harms. In the first two years the team will run demonstration projects that link weather and disaster data with health and community information. They will also build a public website to share data, code, and training so communities and researchers can use the findings. The goal is to make it easier for local groups and health providers to spot risks and plan protections for older people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are older adults, especially those with chronic illnesses or living in places prone to heat waves, wildfires, floods, or hurricanes.
Not a fit: People not exposed to climate-related risks or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to get direct health benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better warnings, care plans, and community responses that reduce injuries, treatment disruptions, and mental health impacts for older adults during extreme weather.
How similar studies have performed: Past studies have linked extreme weather to worse health in older adults, but creating a shared virtual center to combine data and training is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Boulder, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado — Boulder, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hunter, Lori M. — University of Colorado
- Study coordinator: Hunter, Lori 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.