How early life stress affects aging and health through mitochondria
Official title: Mechanisms of Accelerated Aging: Stress, Health Behaviors, and the Role of Mitochondria
Funded at Butler Hospital (Providence, Ri) · NIH-10745729 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how tough experiences in childhood, like trauma, can affect how we age and develop health issues like heart disease and diabetes, while also exploring how our eating and exercise habits interact with stress to influence our health as we get older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Butler Hospital (Providence, Ri) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2022 |
| Project end | November 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $189,251 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AG077332-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10745729 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults over 21 who have experienced childhood adversity and are at risk for aging-related health conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not experienced early life adversity or do not have age-related health concerns may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how early life adversity, such as childhood trauma, influences aging and the development of health conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It examines the role of health behaviors, including diet and exercise, and how they interact with stress to affect aging processes. The study focuses on mitochondrial function, which is believed to play a crucial role in the body's response to stress and aging. By understanding these mechanisms, the research aims to identify potential interventions to improve health outcomes for affected individuals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for preventing or mitigating age-related diseases linked to early life stress.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results regarding the impact of early life stress on health outcomes, particularly in relation to mitochondrial function, indicating that this approach has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Butler Hospital (Providence, Ri)
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tyrka, Audrey — Butler Hospital (Providence, Ri)
- 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.