# Advancing Psychosocial and Biobehavioral Stress Measurement to Understanding Aging

> **NIH NIH R24** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2021 · $558,958

## Abstract

Abstract
Stress Reduction, telomere length, and COVID infection and severity: A randomized trial
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented challenges in the daily lives of all
Americans. Further, in the San Francisco Bay Area, residents are under additional stress, as in
addition to COVID fear and restrictions (social distancing, school closures, food
insecurity) the area is at the epicenter of climate crises in the US--rampant wildfires,
evacuations, and smoke exposure--that contribute to economic impact and poor mental health.
This confluence of stressors creates the ideal circumstances for testing an emotional
resilience intervention remotely. We have a large pre-existing cohort where we can examine
the impact of stress on mental health and infections (including COVID infection) over the next
year, and test a digital mindfulness intervention, delivered at distance, to enhance management
of COVID related stressors, fitting the mission of NOSI-AT-20-011.
 We propose to study 1500 UCSF employees, 30% low income. We have pre-pandemic
measures of stress and health on the majority of this sample (1200) so we can prospectively
quantify the effect of the COVID-19 epidemic on stress, anxiety, and depression (and secondary
outcomes of financial and social impact) compared to their pre-COVID baseline (Aim 1). We will
quantify COVID and climate related stressors and responses to assess their impact. In addition,
we will test the additional value of knowing a baseline measure of immune system age,
telomere length, in predicting susceptibility to infection, and if this interacts with stress (Aim 3).
To test this, dried blood spots will be obtained to quantify telomere length at baseline and
antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 at baseline and 6-months. To test the buffering effect of the stress
reduction intervention, this Fall, we will randomize half of our sample to engage in an 8-week
digital meditation intervention program (n = 750) and compare them to those in the control
group (n = 750) (Aim 2). Measures will be obtained at baseline, post-intervention (8-weeks), 6
and 12 months (11/01/20 to 10/31/2021). Monthly measures of symptoms of infections and
illness, and 3 days of daily diary measures each month on mental and physical health as well as
putative psychological mechanisms of mindfulness (daily stress resilience, tolerance of
uncertainty), will be obtained.
 This is a high impact study – on a well-tested Stage 3 intervention to examine real
world efficacy and mechanisms of change on a highly vulnerable pre-existing cohort. By
following our sample for 12 months, given the common severe stressor exposures of COVID
and climate crises, we are likely to see the long-term buffering effect of a mindfulness
intervention and discover important biobehavioral findings about vulnerability and resilience to
infection.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10267478
- **Project number:** 3R24AG048024-07S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Elissa S. Epel
- **Activity code:** R24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $558,958
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2014-09-30 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10267478

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10267478, Advancing Psychosocial and Biobehavioral Stress Measurement to Understanding Aging (3R24AG048024-07S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10267478. Licensed CC0.

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