MyGoals for Healthy Aging
Official title: The MyGoals for Healthy Aging Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11337870 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether giving low-income adults employment incentives plus coaching to improve thinking skills can slow age-related health problems linked to Alzheimer's disease.
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 start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $343,525 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG073402-04S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11337870 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults living in poverty or low-income households who are seeking employment support and are concerned about long-term cognitive and health effects of stress and hardship.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not low-income, are not seeking employment help, or already have advanced Alzheimer's disease dementia are unlikely to benefit from this prevention-focused intervention.
What this research studies
You would be enrolled in a multi-center program that adds extra employment supports and a field-tested coaching program aimed at improving planning, focus, and motivation. Participants are randomly assigned to receive the additional supports or usual services and are followed over multiple years. Researchers will track economic outcomes, cognitive and executive function, and health measures tied to aging and dementia risk. The goal is to see if longer intervention and follow-up can change the pace of biological aging and reduce risks for AD/ADRD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could improve thinking skills and economic stability and might slow biological aging and reduce future dementia risk for people in poverty.
How similar studies have gone: A prior randomized trial (MyGoals for Employment Success) showed benefits for executive function and economic outcomes, but using extended follow-up to measure aging and dementia-related health outcomes is a new application.
Where this research is happening
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Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Belsky, Daniel Walker — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Belsky, Daniel Walker
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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MyGoals for Healthy Aging among people at risk for Alzheimer’s dementia
A multi-center trial tests whether a combined program addressing poverty-related stress and executive function can slow aging and reduce risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease in adults.
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MyGoals for Healthy Aging: A Multi-Center Trial to Help Older Adults
A multi-center study tests ways to slow aging and help people with Alzheimer’s-related dementia by reducing poverty-related stress and improving daily functioning.
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MyGoals Healthy Aging program
This program offers extended employment supports and coaching to help low-income older adults slow aging and lower their risk of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
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MyGoals for Healthy Aging
This project tests whether combining employment incentives with coaching for low-income adults can slow age-related health decline and lower risk for Alzheimer's disease.
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Healthy aging in Black adults and its links to dementia risk
This grant follows a large group of Black adults to understand how aging, brain health, and life experiences influence Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
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How early-life spending shape aging and dementia risk later in life
A Stanford-led study looks at how state and county spending in childhood may influence midlife thinking skills and the risk of dementia in later life.
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.