Social stress, epigenetics, and immune aging in bats
Official title: Social stress, epigenetics and immune function across bat lifespans
Funded at Univ of Maryland, College Park · NIH-11397540 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how social stress and aging affect the immune system in bats, a unique species with long lives and strong social bonds.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $472,923 |
| NIH project number | 5R33AG078474-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397540 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adult bats from the four studied species that are part of long-term marked cohorts and have documented social status and aging data.
✕Less likely to help
Results may not directly benefit individual bats or require participants outside of the study’s marked cohorts.
What this research studies
Researchers will study four bat species to see how social status and social connections influence immune responses as bats age. They will measure immune activity in white blood cells after stimulating them in the lab, and map DNA methylation patterns to understand aging at the epigenetic level. The study uses blood samples from individually marked bats collected over time to compare young and old individuals and both sexes. The project combines gene expression, DNA methylation profiling, and social-status data to explore links between aging, stress, and immunity. This work may reveal biomarkers of aging and how social factors shape health in long-lived mammals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding aging and stress effects on immunity in bats could inform broader insights into aging and immune resilience in other species, including humans.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in bats and other mammals suggests social factors can influence immune responses and aging, but this project takes a unique multi-species, longitudinal approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Maryland, College Park
College Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wilkinson, Gerald S — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Wilkinson, Gerald 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.