Network on Measurement of Biological Risk

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Project Summary/Abstract The goal of this project will be to further develop and maintain an interdisciplinary network of scientists dedicated to measuring biological risk for late life health outcomes in large representative samples of aging populations. Biological risk is defined by indictors of genetic and physiological state that increase the probability of disease, disability, loss of physical or cognitive functioning, or death. The network will focus on assessing, validating, and harmonizing biological risk measurement in studies of populations; expanding measures available for use in populations; and developing methodological approaches for including complex dimensions of health in analytic models. This project will build on the extensive progress made building an initial interdisciplinary research network (funded by NIA from 2009 to 2015). Activities of the network for the 2016-2021 period will include designing and carrying out a series of general and focused meetings including one annual meeting of the network members, regular meetings/conference calls with working subgroups, specialized workshops, working with individual studies to develop plans for data collection and processing, and supporting small pilot projects to harmonize and develop measurement. Dissemination of harmonizing information and harmonized data will be a major product of the network. The network will also disseminate protocols for collection methods, assay methods, quality control methods, harmonization methods, basic training on relevant topics of sample collection and preparation, and analytic methods. The network will promote valid interdisciplinary and international research on the associations of social, biological, economic, and psychological factors and the biological paths leading to health outcomes common in old age in large community and national population surveys. This growing area of scientific focus in the population sciences is at a crucial stage for further development from an organized network.