Learning programs for older adults and brain health in Beirut
Late Life Learning, Dementia, and Overall Health: An Investigation of The University for Seniors in Beirut.
This project looks at whether joining non-degree classes and social learning activities for older adults in Beirut helps keep thinking skills and overall health stronger.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11382997 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited to join non-degree classes and social learning activities offered by the University for Seniors in Beirut. Researchers will follow people over time and compare thinking skills, memory, and overall health between those who take part in late-life learning and others. The team will collect cognitive tests, health measures, and life-history information to see how learning and social engagement relate to dementia risk. The work focuses on older adults in Lebanon, a lower‑resource setting with unique life-course stressors that may affect brain health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are older adults (typically 65 years and older) living in or near Beirut who can attend regular classes and are interested in learning and social activities.
Not a fit: People with advanced dementia who cannot participate in classes, or those living far from Beirut who cannot attend sessions, are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could show that affordable late-life learning programs help lower dementia risk and improve well‑being, informing community interventions in low-resource settings.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies link cognitive and social activity with better thinking skills, but few have tested organized late-life learning programs directly and especially not in low- and middle-income countries, so this approach is promising but not yet widely proven.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zeki Al Hazzouri, Adina — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Zeki Al Hazzouri, Adina
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.