USC/UCLA Center for Biodemography and Population Health: Core A
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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.
Abstract – Core A The Administrative and Research Support Core (ARC) is responsible for initiating and coordinating all activities undertaken by the USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health (CBPH). The overarching aim of the Center is to promote scientifically important research and to develop infrastructure and resources designed to foster and support innovation and progress in methodological and substantive issues that will most effectively promote significant scientific advancement in the area of Biodemography. To accomplish our goal, we leverage the unique and complementary expertise of the CBPH co-directors and their respective institutions, combining expertise and experience in classic demographic analysis and methods, genetics and genomic theory and methods, and clinic- and community-based, epidemiological/biological research methods. The aims of the ARC are to (1) provide national and international leadership in the field of Biodemography by arranging seminars and meetings that provide discussion of theory, methods, and analytic approaches for using biological data from large populations; (2) develop networks of appropriate experts from around the world who can provide information on theory, methods, and data relevant to novel biomarkers in populations; (3) encourage the hiring and development of faculty affiliates at USC and UCLA who can further the research aims of the CBPH; (4) perform the administrative and financial tasks required for the management and direction of the CBPH; (5) provide oversight and support for activities of the Program Development Core [PDC] ; and (6) provide oversight, support and scientific leadership for activities of the Research Development and Research Resources and Dissemination Core [RRDC]. Our past efforts have generated methodological and substantive knowledge of great value to population health researchers generally, and have promoted growth of the field of biodemography by encouraging improvements in methods relating to collection and analysis of biological data and substantive understanding of biological parameters. The effective administration of the CPBH has been largely responsible for accomplishing Center aims. We propose to maintain these effective organizational structures and functions of the ARC from the past period in order to continue to provide the biodemographic infrastructure needed to support significant improved and expansion of scientific progress in addressing major substantive questions in the field of biodemography.
Overview Abstract The USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health (CBPH) represents a unique and highly successful collaboration between the Davis School of Gerontology of the University of Southern California (USC) and the Multi-campus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology in the Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), each of which focuses exclusively on research and teaching on aging. The CBPH has a longstanding role as a leader in efforts to promote theory-based integration of biological measurement into population-based studies, on-going development and validation of biological measurement protocols, and theoretically motivated research on the biological mechanisms by which social, economic, psychological, medical and environmental factors “get under the skin” to influence the process of health change with age. The CBPH has developed unique clinical and laboratory infrastructure and pilot projects to improve understanding and use of biodemographic indicators, increase indicators available to population studies, support more reliable and valid collection of data across a large number of national and international surveys, and made advances in measurement and validation that allow population surveys to keep pace with scientific advances in the science of aging. This application proposes a set of activities designed to (i) expand and enhance theoretical development of the field of biodemography so that we focus on a new generation of biomarkers reflecting molecular and cellular processes that reflect the basic mechanisms of aging, (ii) continue efforts to attract new and promising researchers to the field, and (iii) enhance our Center’s unique role in supporting development, validation, implementation and dissemination of new and better biodemographic measurement protocols. The specific aims of the CBPH will be to: (1) support and foster biodemographic research to understand the multiple and interacting factors that affect population health (with a particular focus on expanding and deepening our understanding of the biological pathways through which experiences and exposures over the life-course impact trajectories of health and how such influences may vary across subgroups and settings); (2) further develop an active biodemographic research community by engaging established and promising junior researchers in a network of scholars who can help advance biodemographic research; (3) offer funding for pilot projects to support cutting-edge biodemographic research; (4) support development and dissemination of new research technologies, methodologies and data through our Research Resource & Dissemination Core and dissemination activities of Administrative Core. Such advances are needed to support development of models of population health that provide much needed evidence for policy planners regarding the most effective points of intervention to improve population health and reduce health disparities. The CBPH has developed the infrastructure, resources and expertise to accomplish its goals and continue its significant leadership role in advancing biodemographic research on aging. OMB No. 0925-0001/0002 (Rev. 08/12 Approved Through 8/31/2015) Page Continuation Format Page
