How education affects dementia risk across countries, generations, and genders
Official title: Differences in the association of education with ADRD across countries, historical eras, and men and women
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-11308189 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether the amount and type of schooling people get changes their chances of Alzheimer's and related dementias across different countries, birth years, and between men and women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | May 15, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,212,039 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG081248-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11308189 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults or older adults already enrolled in long-term twin or aging cohort studies who have records of their education, occupation, and cognitive health.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking new drug treatments or immediate clinical care, or those not represented in the included countries or cohorts, are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
You are part of one of many long-term studies that follow twins and older adults across several countries, and the researchers will combine those records to compare people born in different years and men versus women. They will use standardized education measures (like ISCED), job histories, and genetic information to separate the roles of schooling, work, and inherited risk. Twin comparisons will help the team tell apart social and genetic influences on thinking and memory over time. The project analyzes existing data from the IGEMS consortium rather than enrolling new patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to when and for whom better access to education might lower dementia risk and guide public health or social policies to reduce future cases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has consistently linked higher education with lower dementia risk, but using a large international twin consortium to examine historical, country, and sex differences is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Finch, Brian K. — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Finch, Brian K.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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How education shapes dementia risk across countries, generations, and sexes
Looking at how different levels of education relate to dementia risk for adults across countries, birth cohorts, and between men and women.
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How education shapes dementia risk across countries, generations, and sexes
Researchers will look at how different levels of schooling relate to Alzheimer’s and related dementias in people from different countries, birth cohorts, and men and women.
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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.