Measuring stress and building supports to help people age more healthily
Official title: Advancing Psychosocial and Biobehavioral Stress Measurement and Interventions to Promote Healthy Aging
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11178586 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops better ways to track psychological stress and creates scalable programs to help older adults, especially those from underserved groups, stay healthier as they age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2014 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $408,905 |
| NIH project number | 5R24AG048024-12 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178586 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are older adults willing to share information about their stress, daily experiences, or try phone- or app-based stress-reduction programs, especially people from minoritized or underserved communities.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not in older age groups or who cannot use digital tools or participate in surveys may not directly benefit from the project's interventions.
What this research studies
You would see researchers creating improved ways to measure both long-term and daily stress using surveys, harmonized questions, and digital tracking tools. They combine data across studies around the world and maintain an online toolbox that other researchers use. The team also works on simple, scalable interventions delivered via phone or apps and refines them so they can reach minoritized and underserved older adults.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable more accurate stress monitoring and wider access to interventions that reduce stress-related health problems in aging populations.
How similar studies have gone: The Stress Measurement Network has already supported many teams, produced over 50 publications, and created a widely used measurement toolbox, but scalable, validated interventions for minoritized groups remain an active focus.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Epel, Elissa S. — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Epel, Elissa S.
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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.