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Research that improves lives

The KU Life Span Institute is a network of more than 450 KU scientists, staff and students. Our discoveries help improve the health and development of people in Kansas, across the nation, and around the world.

Featured News

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How to manage alcohol intake this holiday season

Whether you’re interested in managing your health, avoiding additional stress, or just staying in control, these tips can help you and your guests manage your alcohol intake.
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Grant to expand community-based research project focused on people with mobility disabilities

With new federal funding, a University of Kansas project is expanding access to exercise for people with disabilities. Life Span Institute researcher Lyndsie Koon says the community-based functional fitness program has shown strong results.
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KU graduate program inspires parent-child collaboration to make accessible toys

A teacher pursuing her master's degree in special education through KU's Project MounTaiN program inspired her son to make toys more accessible for children with disabilities after learning about assistive technology in her coursework.
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KU advances tools and supports to improve postschool outcomes for students with disabilities with $1.8M federal grant

Continued funding for this work will "ensure that all of our shareholders, whether that be state-level personnel, local-level personnel, and/or students and youth with disabilities and their families, can really digest the work,” according to the primary investigator, Valerie Mazzotti, who is an affiliated researcher at the KU Center on Disabilities and KU distinguished professor of special education.
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Our Commitment

Explore how our researchers, staff and students come together to solve problems affecting the health of children, families and communities.

Helping People Thrive
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Our Work

Learn about the research of more than 130 investigators working on dozens of projects spanning education, self-determination, disability policy, neuroscience, behavior, language, child development and more.

Explore research areas

Research at a Glance

$46M
external funding in FY25
489
investigators, staff and students
70+
years of improving human health and development
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Ranked #1 Worldwide

Life Span Institute science and scholarship fuels the university's new #1 ranking worldwide in developmental disability research.

Scholar GPS Ranks KU No. 1

Our Economic Impact

An economic analysis indicates the KU Life Span Institute had an estimated $30 million impact on the Kansas economy
A look at the numbers
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Stories of Our Impact

Read about the impact of Life Span Institute research on individuals and communities in Kansas and beyond.

Featured Stories

Explore the Life Span Institute

People

More than 400 investigators, staff and students are part of the KU Life Span Institute. Find individual staff and connect with our research centers.
Directory

Impact

View stories about the impact of our research, grant news, and discoveries from the fields of education, addiction, autism spectrum disorder, community health and more.
News

Support

Connect with services that support researchers including study design, grant development, award support, and video and web production.
Services
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Research Opportunities

Our investigators pursue science that has the potential to change people’s lives. They often depend on volunteers to partner as participants in research. We are thankful to the many infants, children, and adults who support our commitment to impact the lives of people in Kansas and beyond.

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Support the Life Span Institute

We invite you to help drive our mission to discover, develop and deliver approaches to improve the health and development of people in Kansas, throughout the region and beyond.
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