How COVID-19 and genes may affect memory and Alzheimer's risk in diverse communities
Official title: Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 infection and genetic variation on the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in Ancestral and Admixed Populations
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Science Center · NIH-11389638 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether COVID-19 infection together with genetic differences raises the chance of memory loss and Alzheimer's disease in older adults from diverse ancestries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Science Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $110,683 |
| NIH project number | 3U19AG076581-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11389638 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults—particularly older adults and people of African, Latin American, or admixed ancestry—who have had COVID-19 (or are willing to be followed for possible infection) and can complete cognitive testing, brain scans, and blood draws.
✕Less likely to help
People who are young, cannot undergo imaging or blood draws, or who have never had COVID and do not want follow-up may not see direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will follow about 4,300 adults from sites in Texas, New York, Washington State, Ibadan (Nigeria), and Jujuy (Argentina) to see how past COVID and genetic factors relate to thinking skills over time. Participants will get neurological exams, memory and thinking tests, brain imaging, and blood draws using the same procedures, with visits soon after infection and again about 18 and 36 months later. The team will compare whole-genome data and blood-based biomarkers alongside imaging to learn who is more likely to develop cognitive decline or dementia. The work focuses on older adults and people from underrepresented and admixed ancestral groups so findings better reflect diverse communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help identify people at higher risk for post-COVID cognitive decline and guide earlier monitoring or targeted prevention.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies have linked COVID-19 and genetic risk factors like APOE e4 to cognitive problems, but this large, multi-country integration of whole-genome data, biomarkers, and repeated imaging across diverse populations is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
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University of Texas Hlth Science Center
San Antonio, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: De Erausquin, Gabriel Alejandro — University of Texas Hlth Science Center
- Study coordinator: De Erausquin, Gabriel Alejandro
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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How COVID-19 infection and genes may influence memory and dementia risk
This study looks at how getting COVID-19 and a person’s genes together affect the chance of developing memory problems and Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
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How COVID-19 and genetics influence memory and dementia risk in older adults
This project studies how getting COVID-19 interacts with people’s genetic makeup to affect the likelihood of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults from diverse backgrounds.
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How COVID-19 and genetic differences may affect memory and Alzheimer's risk across diverse populations
This project will find out whether having COVID-19 together with certain genetic differences raises the chance of memory loss and Alzheimer's disease in older adults from varied ancestral backgrounds.
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How COVID-19 and genetics may affect memory and Alzheimer’s risk in diverse older adults
The team will compare memory tests, brain scans, blood markers, and genes in older adults with and without COVID-19 to learn how infection and genetic differences relate to later memory loss and Alzheimer's risk.
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How COVID-19 and genetics affect cognitive decline and Alzheimer's risk in older adults
This study is looking at how getting COVID-19 and our genes might affect brain health and the risk of memory problems or Alzheimer's in older adults, especially those from diverse backgrounds, and it involves tests to track changes over time.
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Alzheimer’s-related dementia after COVID-19: how SARS-CoV-2 affects the brain and potential drug repurposing
This research looks at how COVID-19 may contribute to dementia by studying brain inflammation, blood vessel injury, and virus-host interactions, with the goal of finding existing drugs that could help.
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.