Brain health tools to detect and help Alzheimer's in LMICs
Official title: Scalable Technologies for the Assessment and Rescue of Brain Health: Brain-START
Funded at Aga Khan University (Kenya) · NIH-11422386 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large U01 project aims to validate and use a toolkit to detect Alzheimer’s-related changes in people in Kenya and Pakistan, with a focus on low- and middle-income settings.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Aga Khan University (Kenya) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nairobi, Kenya) |
| Project start | September 23, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $436,971 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AG097744-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11422386 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults in LMIC urban hospitals and rural clinics who are at risk for ADRD or showing cognitive changes, including participants in Kenya and Pakistan.
✕Less likely to help
People without ADRD risk or in settings where the toolkit is not yet validated may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant develops and tests a new, beginner-friendly toolkit that uses digital speech analysis and biomarkers to identify Alzheimer’s-related changes in people living in LMICs. The team will validate the toolkit against standard diagnostic methods in hospital settings and then implement it in rural clinics, using task-shifting to train local staff. It also plans to build population-specific risk models that consider local risk factors. The research combines clinical validation, implementation science, and advanced analytics to improve early detection where resources are limited.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients in LMICs could receive earlier and more accurate detection of ADRD using accessible tools.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show promising results for digital speech biomarkers, but performance in LMIC populations remains to be demonstrated.
Where this research is happening
-
Aga Khan University (Kenya)
Nairobi, Kenya Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Merali, Zul — Aga Khan University (Kenya)
- Study coordinator: Merali, Zul
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.