Identification of exposures over the life course that influence DNA methylation and facilitate the detection of healthy aging

The growing elderly population has encouraged research that investigates the basis of longevity and health at older ages. This project aims to determine whether certain measures of biological age, such as DNA methylation, can be used to identify not just aging, but an individual’s healthy aging status, and whether this biomarker can be linked to lifestyle factors that influence health. Healthy aging classification will occur via clustering of relevant and non-redundant variables pertaining to health.