Measuring daily bereavement stress in real life for heart health
Official title: Establishing the feasibility of measuring bereavement-related stress in a naturalistic setting
Funded at University of Miami Coral Gables · NIH-11468373 · Data updated 2026-11-12
We’re testing a simple way to track how grieving a spouse affects heart health in real-life settings.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Miami Coral Gables NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Coral Gables, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | May 9, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $112,875 |
| NIH project number | 7R03HL172916-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11468373 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults whose spouse recently died and who are experiencing bereavement-related stress.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who are not experiencing significant bereavement-related stress or who have no access to the required mobile technology may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project will use everyday devices like a cell phone to monitor how daily grief-related stress influences heart rate and heart-rate variability in recently bereaved spouses. It aims to capture natural fluctuations in stress and physiology outside of a lab, over several months. The goal is to understand how everyday stress after loss relates to heart health and wellbeing for people who have lost a spouse.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to personalized support for bereaved individuals to protect heart health.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links bereavement with higher cardiovascular risk, but day-to-day real-life monitoring is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Miami Coral Gables
Coral Gables, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chirinos, Diana Andrea — University of Miami Coral Gables
- Study coordinator: Chirinos, Diana Andrea
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.