Tracking health, thinking, and daily life in older adults in England
Official title: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing - Renewal 2024
Funded at University College London · NIH-11382668 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Regularly collects health, memory, daily-activity and social information from older adults in England so researchers can learn what leads to dementia and healthier aging.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University College London NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (London, United Kingdom) |
| Project start | September 30, 2000 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,482,131 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG017644-26S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382668 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults living in England, typically middle-aged or older, who can complete interviews, cognitive tests, and occasional wearable or record-linkage procedures.
✕Less likely to help
People under middle-age, those who live outside England, or individuals unable to participate in interviews or cognitive testing would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be asked every few years to complete interviews about your health, finances, family and daily activities and to take memory and thinking tests during a cognitive assessment. Some participants may wear activity trackers and agree to link their answers with medical records, genetic or other biological data. The project follows the same people across decades and will add new waves in 2025/26 and 2027/28 to track changes and potential dementia risk factors over time. Findings are compared with a similar U.S. survey to understand how social, economic and health differences shape aging across countries.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help identify early warning signs, social or lifestyle risks, and targets for prevention, care, or support for Alzheimer's and other dementias.
How similar studies have gone: Yes — prior waves of ELSA and related long-running cohorts such as the U.S. Health and Retirement Study have produced many important findings about aging and dementia risk.
Where this research is happening
-
University College London
London, United Kingdom Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Steptoe, Andrew — University College London
- Study coordinator: Steptoe, Andrew
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.