# Epigenetic Mechanisms Linking Lifetime Social and Environmental Exposures to Cognitive Aging

> **NIH NIH K99** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2022 · $99,981

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 The proposed project integrates training in epigenetic epidemiology and methods with a research
project that examines how epigenetics may provide insight into the biological embedding of lifetime social and
environmental exposures that influence cognitive aging at older ages. This training and research plan will
facilitate the transition to an independent researcher in the field of life course research, social genomics, and
Alzheimer's Diseases and Related Dementias (ADRD) for Dr. Mateo Farina. He received his Ph.D. in
Sociology (Demography Emphasis) from the University of Texas at Austin where he researched the life course
origins of dementia onset among Blacks and Whites in the United States. As an NIA-supported postdoctoral
fellow at the Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California (USC), he has begun to
incorporate biomarkers into his work and will now expand these to include epigenetic markers.
 Epigenetics, which is defined as measures based on DNA methylation and the RNA transcriptome, can
have a significant impact on cognitive aging. Not only can epigenetics effect brain structure during
development (i.e., lower hippocampal volume), but also it can influence brain pathology (i.e. increased
amyloid). Through these biological pathways, the risk of poor cognitive aging outcomes, such as cognitive
impairment, increases. This connection to brain health has made epigenetics potentially important for the study
of ADRD. Epigenetics is also greatly influenced by life experiences. As such, it is an important biosocial
mechanism that can be examined to evaluate how life course exposures impact cognitive aging. The proposed
research will push the aging field forward by: 1) advancing our understanding of how epigenetics are
associated with cognitive aging across multiple measures of cognitive functioning and change, 2) investigate
the epigenetic-based biosocial pathways that link lifetime social and environmental exposures to cognitive
aging and 3) understanding how epigenetics may lead to downstream physiological dysregulation that has
been linked to poor cognitive health.
 The proposed research uses the newly released DNA methylation data and the soon-to-be released
RNA transcriptome data in the Health and Retirement Study. This data, along with the rich information on
cognition and social and economic conditions throughout life, make it possible to examine the epigenetic
mechanisms linking life course exposures and their timing to cognitive aging in a large, diverse nationally
representative population. USC provides the ideal training environment to undertake this research given the
multidisciplinary nature of the School of Gerontology, expertise in cognitive aging, and several didactic options
for training in epigenetic methods. This training will prepare the PI to submit an R01 proposal as a junior
tenure-track professor.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10429698
- **Project number:** 1K99AG076964-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Matthew Farina
- **Activity code:** K99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $99,981
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-05-15 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10429698

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10429698, Epigenetic Mechanisms Linking Lifetime Social and Environmental Exposures to Cognitive Aging (1K99AG076964-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10429698. Licensed CC0.

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