Research Studies
LonGenity
To participate in LonGenity, you must be an Ashkenazi Jew (your family was originally from Eastern Europe: Germany, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, etc.). You must be at least 65 years of age.
The Longevity Genes Project
To participate in The Longevity Genes Project, you must be an Ashkenazi Jew (your family was originally from Eastern Europe: Germany, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, etc.). You must be at least 95 years of age.
FAQs
Q. What do you mean by Ashkenazi Jew? I just know I’m Jewish – is that enough?
A. Ashkenazi means that your descendents - parents or grandparents or great grandparents - were born in Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia, and Germany). The vast majority of American Jews are of Ashkenazi descent. The remainder are Sephardi or Mizrahi, which means their forebears were originally from Spain, Portugal, North Africa or the Middle East.
Q. Why is this study limited to Ashkenazi Jewish people?
A. Up to the 17th century, the Ashkenazi Jews in the Pale of Europe encountered a combination of plagues, wars and anti-Semitic persecution, contracting the population to an estimated few hundred thousand. Combined with a long history of isolation and virtually no intermarriage, the Ashkenazi population today is derived from a relatively limited number of founders. The gene pool of Ashkenazi Jews, therefore, is unique and more homogeneous than most other populations. It is easier to spot genetic differences in this group, precisely because there is so much similarity in the genetic makeup.
Although participants in this study must be Ashkenazi Jews, the findings will be relevant to everyone, regardless of their ethnic or religious background.
Q. Other than being of Ashkenazi descent, what are the other requirements for participating?
A. For the Longevity Genes Project, we are looking for people who are 95 years of age or older. For LonGenity, we recruit people 65 years and older.
Q. What exactly do I have to do?
A. Longevity Genes Project participants fill out a questionnaire about family history, health and lifestyle, and are given a brief physical and mental status examination. Approximately three tablespoons of blood are drawn, using a thin, small butterfly needle. Our project nurse will come to you, or you can visit us here at the Einstein campus.
Participants in LonGenity receive comprehensive physical and neurological examinations upon entry into the project. Thereafter, participants visit for annual follow up. The LonGenity research facility is centrally located in the Bronx, with convenient access to residents of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.
Q. Is there any compensation for participating?
A. You will receive a copy of the results of your blood test, which will include your cholesterol levels and blood counts. You will also have the satisfaction of knowing that you are participating in research which may well provide the means for everyone to live long and healthy lives.
Q. I’d like to learn more, and perhaps participate. How do I reach you?
A. See Contact Information.