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 faster or slower given biological, social, behavioral, psychological, economic, environmental, and health care conditions. Prior Center pilot projects have significantly increased our understanding of the roles of life circumstances, behaviors, stressors, biological factors, genetics in affecting health outcomes. These projects have also been highly successful in providing a basis for subsequent funded research and significant publications. In keeping with the overarching aim of the USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health (CBPH), we devote a subset of our pilot projects to the development of innovations in biological and health measurement and data that provide increased resources for the entire research community. Our proposed pilots for the first year reflect the areas of CBPH focus: genetic/epigenetic processes;biological risk factors;international comparisons and the role of neighborhood or environmental characteristics. The PDC has also been an important mechanism for integrating and developing biodemographic researchers at our Universities including emerging scholars, new faculty, and faculty transitioning into biodemography. We have also supported pilot work from other universities that is critical to the further development of the field. The PDC is strongly integrated with the activities of the Administrative Research Core (ARC) and our Research Resources and Dissemination Core (RRDC). Some 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.
The research supported by our Center attempts to clarify the biological pathways through which social, economic, and psychological and experiences impact health and how such influences may vary across subgroups and settings. This knowledge will increase our ability to improve health and reduce health disparities.
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