I-CONNECT: Linking Cancer and Aging to Improve Care for Older Survivors
Official title: Investigations CONNECTing Cancer and Aging (I-CONNECT)
Funded at Georgetown University · NIH-11384504 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A big research effort at Georgetown to understand how aging and cancer affect people 65 and older, with the goal of finding better ways to keep survivors healthier over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgetown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $932,404 |
| NIH project number | 5R35CA283926-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384504 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 65 and older who have or have had cancer and are under oncology or survivorship care.
✕Less likely to help
Very elderly individuals without cancer history or those not engaged in survivorship care may derive limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project brings together basic science, clinical work, and population studies to explore how aging processes interact with cancer and its treatments. By using advanced analyses, machine learning, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, the team aims to uncover pathways that influence health outcomes in older cancer survivors. The goal is to translate insights into practical interventions that help maintain quality of life and function for this growing population. The work will inform clinicians on how aging and cancer influence each other and how best to tailor care across the survivorship journey.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to targeted strategies that improve longevity and daily functioning for older cancer survivors.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows promise in linking aging biology with cancer outcomes, but this program aims to integrate basic, clinical, and population data for actionable interventions.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgetown University
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mandelblatt, Jeanne — Georgetown University
- Study coordinator: Mandelblatt, Jeanne
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.