Advanced Imaging Core supports brain, heart and aging research in women
Official title: Advanced Imaging Core
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11411396 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A specialized core provides advanced brain and body imaging to study how aging and inflammation affect microvasculature and dementia risk in women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $136,707 |
| NIH project number | 5U54AG094168-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11411396 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are aging women at risk for cardiovascular or cognitive disorders who may contribute data or be considered for future imaging studies.
✕Less likely to help
Participants without aging-related brain or heart disease or those not enrolled in imaging studies may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This grant funds a centralized Imaging Core to support a SCORE on sex differences in aging. It focuses on microvascular injury and dysfunction as key drivers of heart and brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s dementia and related disorders, in aging women. The core will provide imaging resources, protocols, and data management to enable high-quality translational studies within the larger MAE-WEST HBF program. Researchers and patients may benefit from clearer biomarkers and potential future diagnostics derived from imaging data. The project emphasizes collaboration, data sharing, and methodological rigor to advance women’s health research in aging.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the imaging resources could speed development of biomarkers and interventions for aging-related brain and heart diseases in women.
How similar studies have gone: Prior imaging cores have enabled multicenter biomarker discovery, but this specific focus on aging women and microvascular changes is a timely and emerging area.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Debiao — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Li, Debiao
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.