Geriatrics and Aging Processes Research Branch

Overview

The Geriatrics and Aging Processes Research Branch supports programs of research, research mid-career development, and resource development in the etiology, pathophysiology and course of mental disorders of late life, the relationships between aging and mental disorders, the treatment and recovery of persons with aging-related disorders, and the prevention of these disorders and their consequences. In addition to studies focused on older adults and their particular mental health issues and needs, the branch supports neurodevelopmental investigations of potential risk and resilience factors pertinent to mental disorders and longer-range trajectories of change that may involve examining individuals during earlier phases of the life span, as well. The branch encourages collaborative multidisciplinary research programs using the tools of neuroscience, cognitive and affective sciences, and social and behavioral sciences to facilitate the translation of basic science and preclinical research to clinical research. Studies may involve use of brain imaging, genetics and genomics, molecular biology, and other evolving neuroscientific methods to investigate factors related to neuropsychiatric disorders of aging, the interaction of these disorders with the processes of aging and neurodevelopment/neurodegeneration, and their assessment and treatment. Disorders of interest include: mood, anxiety, and personality disorders; psychotic disorders and schizophrenia; psychiatric syndromes and behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; suicide; and neuroregulatory and homeostatic disorders associated with irregularities of sleep, eating, and the menstrual cycle.

Branch Chief

Jovier D Evans, Ph.D.
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7113, MSC 9637
301-443-1369, je180t@nih.gov