Research Associates Leonid Gavrilov and Natalia Garilova of NORC's Center on Aging will use a new grant from the National Institute on Aging to study why people live to be 100 years or older.
 
The co-investigators have written extensively on extreme longevity. Their work has recently shown that longevity can be linked to a mother's age at her child's birth, birthplace within in the United States, and family socioeconomic background.
 
The investigators will look at effects of early-life conditions, adult physical characteristics, and marriage and reproductive history on exceptional longevity. The new study takes advantage of U.S. Census and Social Security Administration data, genealogies, and military draft records. Researchers at the universities of Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin will also collaborate. Learn more about the project here.