How social and environmental factors affect brain aging in African American adults
Aging Research Characterizing Health Exposome via Social factors (ARCHES)
This project looks at how experiences like stress, depression, and neighborhood and social conditions relate to early brain changes tied to Alzheimer's in African American adults aged 21 and older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11128795 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited to join a group of African American adults who will be followed over time to learn about memory and brain health. The research team will work with a community advisory committee and local partners to recruit and keep participants engaged. You may be asked to answer questions about mood, stress, and your social and environmental experiences and to provide biosamples and other brief tests that reflect early brain changes. Over repeated visits the researchers will combine these data to understand which life factors are linked with later cognitive decline.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are African American adults age 21 or older who are willing to complete surveys, provide biosamples, and take part in ongoing follow‑up visits.
Not a fit: People with advanced, late‑stage dementia or those unwilling to provide follow‑up information or samples may not receive direct personal benefit from this prevention‑focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal preventable social and environmental drivers of Alzheimer's risk in African American communities and guide tailored prevention and early‑detection efforts.
How similar studies have performed: Prior cohort studies have linked stress and social factors to dementia risk, but applying a community‑informed exposome approach focused specifically on African American participants is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Babulal, Ganesh M — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Babulal, Ganesh 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.