Air pollution and brain health: linking cleaner air to better memory and heart health in Lima
Official title: Building U.S. Research Capacity Through International Environmental Health Science on Air Pollution, Cardiorespiratory Disease, and Alzheimer’s Disease (Research U01)
Funded at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia · NIH-11304517 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A U.S.–Peru collaboration is studying how air pollution affects heart, lung, and brain health, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, with advanced exposure mapping in Lima.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lima, Peru) |
| Project start | September 28, 2015 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $286,954 |
| NIH project number | 5U01TW010107-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11304517 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults in Lima and other parts of Peru affected by air pollution, especially those with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions or at risk for neurodegenerative diseases.
✕Less likely to help
People in regions with low pollution or those not exposed to the studied pollutants may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will extend high-resolution air pollution maps in Lima, linking exposure data to hospital and emergency department records to examine how pollution relates to heart and lung diseases, infections, and cognitive decline. It combines environmental science, epidemiology, and clinical investigations to understand the impact of PM2.5 and NO2 on health. Researchers will also test whether traffic-reduction and cleaner-transport policies reduce pollution levels and improve health outcomes. A case-control study will explore associations between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia in the Peruvian population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to cleaner air policies and strategies that lower dementia risk and improve cardiopulmonary health in urban populations.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links air pollution to cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes; this study extends to neurodegenerative disease risk in Peru, representing a novel regional application.
Where this research is happening
-
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Lima, Peru Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hartinger, Stella Maria — Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
- Study coordinator: Hartinger, Stella Maria
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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.