How life hardships and neighborhood conditions shape stress systems and biological aging in midlife adults
Life-Course Adversity and Other Determinants of Stress Regulation & Epigenetic Aging in Midlife Adults
Researchers will measure how hardships from childhood through life relate to stress hormones, DNA signs of aging, and mental health in adults now in midlife.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11379856 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join about 450 adults who were followed since childhood so researchers can add new surveys, interviews, blood samples, and neighborhood data to the long-term records. The team will test stress-regulation markers (for example, hormone responses), DNA-based measures of epigenetic age from blood, and current mental health symptoms. In-depth interviews will help explain personal experiences of adversity while U.S. Census data describe neighborhood-level disadvantage. This work compares two long-running cohorts with different geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds to see how life-course exposures map onto biology and mental health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who were previously enrolled in the Harlem Longitudinal Development Study or the Children in the Community Study and are currently in midlife.
Not a fit: People who were not part of these cohorts or those seeking immediate therapeutic benefit should not expect direct medical benefits from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could clarify how life-long adversity contributes to biological aging and mental health, helping guide future prevention or support strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior studies have linked adversity to stress dysregulation and accelerated epigenetic aging, but findings are mixed and this project is novel in using decades-long cohort data combined with biological, survey, and qualitative measures.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pahl, Kerstin — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Pahl, Kerstin
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.