National Institute on Aging

2012-2016

Background

In September 2012, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) convened a diverse team of experts to launch its Network on Reversibility. Since then, this group has developed new ideas on how to reverse harmful effects of early environmental adversity in adulthood. The purpose of the Network is to define the scope of future research initiatives and to marshal a transdisciplinary approach in the development of such programs.

How We Helped

RLA staff attended the September 2012, February 2013, and November 2016 meetings of the Reversibility Network. These meetings followed an innovative format that put a very strong emphasis on high-level discussions and allocated minimal time to prepared presentations. RLA staff followed the discussions, took extensive notes, and drafted summaries of main themes, incorporating scientific presentations and discussion sessions. The content was scientifically complex and covered multiple disciplines including neuroscience, genetics, psychiatry, epidemiology, and cognitive psychology. The scientific expertise of our key staff enabled RLA to prepare coherent, technical reports that are understandable to even nonscientific audiences. RLA managed the revision and editing processes, ensuring that feedback from individual speakers and NIA staff was incorporated into the final reports, and produced Web-ready documents that met Federal accessibility requirements.

Work Products and Links

Network on Reversibility: Mid-Life Reversibility of Early Established Biobehavioral Risk Factors, February 2013

Retrospective Recall and Prospective Observations of Childhood Adversity: Challenges and Opportunities in Their Use in Aging Research, November 2016