Brain blood vessel health and memory in older adults
Official title: Assessing the role of cerebrovascular brain injury and dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis in the BEACoN Cohort
Funded at University of California-Irvine · NIH-11249625 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether small blood vessel damage in the brain is linked to early memory loss in older adults, with focus on Black and Hispanic communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2017 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,558,754 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG053555-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249625 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are nondemented adults aged 60 or older, especially Black or Hispanic individuals, who can attend imaging and cognitive follow-up visits.
✕Less likely to help
People with diagnosed dementia, those under age 60, or those unable to travel for imaging visits are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You would join follow-up visits as one of 100 adults over age 60 who do not have dementia and who receive brain imaging and memory tests over time. Researchers will create individualized cerebrovascular imaging profiles that capture subtle blood vessel injury and dysfunction. They will compare those vascular measures to Alzheimer’s-related brain changes and track who experiences memory decline. The project emphasizes enrolling racially and ethnically diverse participants to understand links that may be more common in Black and Hispanic populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help spot vascular brain changes that predict memory decline earlier, which may lead to targeted prevention or treatment strategies for people at risk.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked stroke and vascular disease to higher dementia risk, but applying detailed imaging profiles longitudinally in diverse, nondemented groups is a more recent and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yassa, Michael a — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Yassa, Michael a
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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.