Description of the Project: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an assessment of how the individual's well-being may be affected over time by a disease, disability, or disorder. It is multidimensional and covers physical, social, emotional, cognitive, work related, spiritual as well as a wide variety of disease related symptoms, therapy induced side effects and financial impact of medical conditions. There are wide range of tools and metrics available for assessment of QoL in various settings. I am particularly interested in exploring dimensions of QoL in two different settings in India. One is in the context of a rural northern Karnataka that lags behind the rest of the state in many of the maternal and child health indicators. Here, my study will follow up on a cohort of low birth weight babies for a period of 18 months and assess the impact of health and nutritional interventions on indicators such as morbidity and mortality, anthropometric measurements, developmental milestones including cognitive development of infants. The project will also explore relationships with existing socio-economic, gender and cultural norms thus outlining multidimensional facets of quality of life which need to be taken cognizance of while designing health and development initiatives. The other study is in an urban setting, particularly in the geriatric age group affected with dementia due to Alzheimer’s or other causes. Here the family level correlates of QoL and particularly care givers’ role in intervention programs toward improving memory, cognition, coordination and other aspects of dementia affecting elderly will be explored. The study can add new evidence into existing literature in relation to cognitive stimulation and training as a complement to existing therapies. Through these studies, my postdoctoral research will aim at establishing definitions, determinants, indicators, intervention methods and tools for improving quality of life in different settings.