Understanding aging and dementia in South Africa
Health, Aging and Dementia in South Africa: A Longitudinal Study (HAALSI)
This program follows older adults in rural South Africa over time to learn how aging, HIV, and other health factors affect memory and dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11115818 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a long-term follow-up of adults in the Agincourt area that combines interviews, repeat memory and thinking tests, blood and other biomarkers, and death records to track who develops cognitive problems. The study builds on prior HAALSI waves and includes a refresher group of 40–49 year olds to expand what we know about midlife risks. A subsample also gets detailed Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol testing and extra biomarker measures. The teams link health conditions like HIV, cardiovascular disease, and social factors to changes in thinking over many years.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 40 and older who live in the Agincourt surveillance area of rural Mpumalanga, South Africa, including people living with and without HIV.
Not a fit: People who live outside the study area, are under 40, or who need immediate clinical treatments rather than research follow-up are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help spot dementia earlier, reveal preventable risk factors, and guide better care and public health policies for older people in South Africa.
How similar studies have performed: Prior HAALSI waves and other long-term aging cohorts have successfully used repeat cognitive tests and biomarkers to track dementia risk, so this work builds on established methods.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Berkman, Lisa F — Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Berkman, Lisa F
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.