Title: Insights from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing: Environmental Factors and Biological Markers in Cognitive Health and Well-being
Summary: This talk will provide an overview of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a large cohort study of people aged 50 and older in England, and highlights findings from two key studies. The first study explores the impact of environmental factors on depression and cognitive health in older adults. Using data from 6,839 individuals interviewed between 2012 and 2018, it examines whether exposure to light at night is associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms and whether this association differs between urban and rural areas of England. Additionally, findings from a study investigating the associations between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 and various domains of cognitive function, including memory, executive function, and language, will be presented. The second study utilizes recently analysed proteomics data from 3,305 blood samples collected in 2008, offering a unique longitudinal perspective to examine the relationship between protein concentrations and dementia and wellbeing over more than a decade. Dementia risk was assessed in 3,249 dementia-free participants over a median follow-up of 9.8 years, with 229 participants developing dementia. Finally, associations between protein concentrations and measures of well-being will also be discussed.
Speaker Biography: Paola Zaninotto is a Professor of Medical and Social Statistics at the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care at University College London. She is the deputy director of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Her research interests are characterized by a commitment to advancing our understanding of the determinants of healthy life expectancy, the complex trajectories of physical health and well-being during the later stages of life, and the role that environmental factors play in addressing these multifaceted challenges. Her methodological expertise lies in the field of longitudinal data analysis. This includes statistical methods such as structural equation models, multilevel models, survival models, causal inference, and strategies for handling missing data.
Participants may attend the seminar in-person at the Rudy North Lecture Theatre in the Centre for Brain Health at UBC, or virtually via Zoom. Zoom details for virtual attendance can be found below. A light lunch will be provided for all those attending in-person.
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Zoom Meeting ID: 93567 416276 | Passcode: 416276
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