$11 million NIH grant moves University of Louisville Twin Study into the next phase

The nationally recognized Louisville Twin Study (LTS), one of the largest and longest-running twin studies exploring development and aging in the U.S. has secured a new $11 million NIH National Institute on Aging grant.

Co-led by psychology professor Christopher Beam at the University of Southern California and University of Louisville School of Medicine pediatrics professor Deborah Winders Davis, the Louisville Twin Study will use the new five-year award to expand into a true lifespan family study to not only bring back former twin participants but also include their parents and siblings to better understand how early-life experiences influence healthy aging and risk factors for cognitive decline. For more than six decades, the LTS has followed participants from infancy through midlife, collecting extensive data on twins, parents and siblings. 

Researchers will use decades of data to identify families at higher risk for cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms of dementia. 

“Having the resources and funding to continue our work will have a huge impact on understanding the aging process,” said Davis. “We are making so much progress understanding diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia, but there is so much we don’t know and think this next phase will uncover some answers. The Louisville Twin Study is the longest running twin study in the US, which makes it an invaluable source of new knowledge to answer important lifespan influences on health and well-being.”

A sub-sample of participants from both higher- and lower-risk groups will undergo advanced brain imaging through a partnership with the University of Kentucky’s Institute on Aging, helping researchers examine the connections among early-life factors, current health and future cognitive outcomes.

For more information, visit the UofL Twin Study Facebook page. 

About the University of Louisville Department of Pediatrics: The University of Louisville (UofL) Department of Pediatrics, part of UofL’s School of Medicine, aims to provide inclusive excellence in clinical care, medical education, pediatric research and community advocacy to meet the health-related needs of children. The faculty are researchers who explore innovation in pediatric medicine, serve on local, regional and national committees and organizations while helping set standards of care and formulate new models of treatment. They are educators, focused on training the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. In addition, our faculty serves as pediatricians who provide services of Kentucky and the region through our affiliation with Norton Children's Hospital. For more information, visit the department website.