Midlife environmental exposures and Alzheimer’s risk
Early mid-life environmental toxicant exposures and AD/ADRD risk in CARDIA
This project looks at whether exposure to chemicals like pesticides and metals in midlife links to later memory problems, thinking changes, and brain-scan differences in Black and White adults from the CARDIA cohort.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11197596 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use decades of data and stored blood samples from the CARDIA study (a biracial group of Black and White adults enrolled in young adulthood) to measure levels of pesticides, lead, cadmium, and other environmental chemicals. They will compare those exposure measures with repeated cognitive tests and brain MRI patterns collected over time. The team will also measure blood-based epigenetic markers and consider social determinants of health to see how exposures may affect biological pathways like inflammation and oxidative stress. By using both targeted and untargeted exposome methods, they hope to find preventable environmental risks tied to Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults in midlife (or CARDIA enrollees) who can provide blood samples, complete cognitive testing, and possibly undergo brain MRI, with emphasis on Black and White individuals followed in CARDIA.
Not a fit: People with advanced dementia who cannot complete testing or provide samples, or those not part of CARDIA and unable to access participating centers, are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify environmental exposures people can avoid or regulate and point to biological pathways to target for preventing dementia, especially in higher-risk communities.
How similar studies have performed: Some earlier studies have suggested links between certain pesticides or metals and cognitive decline, but this long-term exposome-plus-epigenetics approach in a biracial cohort is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Aimin — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Chen, Aimin
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.