USC/UCLA Center for Biodemography and Population Health: Core B

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Abstract Core B The overarching aim of the Program Development Core (PDC) is to provide pilot funding to support the development of innovative and ground-breaking research that will lead to a fuller understanding of the processes affecting population health at older ages and how these processes are modified by biological, social, behavioral, psychological, economic, environmental, and health care conditions. Prior pilot projects have significantly increased our understanding of the roles of life circumstances, behaviors, stressors, and DNA genetics in affecting biological outcomes, as well as downstream health outcomes. Projects have also been extremely successful in providing a basis for subsequent funded research and significant publications. In keeping with the overarching aim of the CBPH, we have devoted a subset of our pilot projects to the development of innovations in biological and health measurement and data which provide increased resources for the entire research community. Our proposed pilots for the first year reflect the current CBPH focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms of aging. Pilot 1 addresses the RNA Transcriptomics and Life Course topics; Pilot 2 addresses the Context, Cognition and Epigenetics/Inflammation topic; Pilot 3 addresses the Cell Senesence, DNA Methylation & Life Course; Pilot 4 addresses the Cognition and Brain Aging topic. They all propose the use of at least one type of newly developed data: RNA transcriptome profiling, DNA methylation, flow cytometry, and MRI data. The PDC has also been an important mechanism for integrating and developing biodemographic researchers including emerging scholars, new faculty, and faculty transitioning into biodemography at both our Universities and in the wider field. Proposed pilots include researchers from two other Universities and all include an emerging scholar. The PDC is strongly integrated with the activities of the Administrative Research Core (ARC) and our Research Resource and Dissemination Core (RRDC). Most pilots produce work integrated into our national meetings organized by the ARC and some pilots either begin or transition to validation projects in the RRDC. Funding over the next cycle will further advance the field of Biodemography by developing new investigators, recruiting into the field established senior investigators from other fields, and broadening the range of biological parameters assessed in population health research, all with the aim of understanding more clearly the biological pathways through which lived experience impacts trajectories of health and wellbeing at the population level, and addressing critical health disparities across sub-populations.