Health & Aging Brain — Alzheimer's biomarkers in African American and Hispanic adults
Official title: HABS-HD - Project 1
Funded at University of North Texas Hlth Sci Ctr · NIH-11173846 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will look at Alzheimer's-related brain changes and biomarkers across adulthood in African American and Hispanic communities to help make biomarker-based diagnosis and treatment more relevant for diverse people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of North Texas Hlth Sci Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fort Worth, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $518,102 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AG078109-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11173846 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults aged 21 or older from African American or Mexican American communities who are willing to undergo blood draws, brain imaging, cognitive testing, and possible spinal fluid collection and follow-up visits.
✕Less likely to help
People under age 21, those unwilling or unable to have imaging or sample collection, or those seeking immediate treatment rather than research participation are unlikely to benefit directly from joining.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will collect things like blood tests, brain scans, memory and thinking tests, and sometimes spinal fluid samples, and follow participants over time to track changes. The project focuses on African American and Mexican American adults (age 21 and older) recruited from the community rather than only from clinics. The goal is to see whether the AT(N) biomarker framework and biomarker-guided treatments apply the same way in these communities as they do in predominantly white clinic populations. The team links these biomarker measures with life-course and social factors to understand why Alzheimer’s risk and patterns may differ.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve how Alzheimer’s is diagnosed and how biomarker-based treatments are applied for African American and Hispanic patients.
How similar studies have gone: The AT(N) biomarker approach and amyloid-lowering treatments have informed clinical trials primarily in non-Hispanic white clinic populations, but community-based biomarker work in African American and Hispanic groups is less common and relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of North Texas Hlth Sci Ctr
Fort Worth, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'bryant, Sid E — University of North Texas Hlth Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: O'bryant, Sid E
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.