How everyday chemical exposures may affect Alzheimer's disease and its course
Official title: The Role of Chemical Exposures in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and its Trajectory
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11379382 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will analyze blood, gut, genetic, and brain imaging data from people with and without Alzheimer's to find chemical and metabolic patterns tied to the disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $55,842 |
| NIH project number | 3U01AG088562-02S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379382 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people across the Alzheimer's spectrum—those with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, or Alzheimer's dementia—or participants enrolled in partner AD cohorts, imaging studies, or lifestyle trials.
✕Less likely to help
People without available biospecimens or brain imaging, or those with non-neurological conditions not related to Alzheimer's, may not be eligible or see direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
This project combines blood tests, gut microbiome analyses, genetic data, and brain scans from people across the Alzheimer's spectrum to map metabolic changes linked to the disease. Multiple centers will apply advanced metabolomics and lipidomics to detect signatures of environmental chemical exposures and relate them to cognition and established Alzheimer's biomarkers. The work draws on existing cohorts and trials (including ADNI, POINTER, MIND, and BEAT-AD) to build a molecular atlas showing how diet, exposures, and gut microbes influence Alzheimer's over time. If you are in an Alzheimer's research cohort or can donate samples, your data could help connect everyday exposures to disease pathways.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable new blood- or gut-based tests and exposure- or diet-focused approaches to detect Alzheimer's earlier or slow its progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have found promising links between metabolites, the gut microbiome, and Alzheimer's markers, but this consortium's integrated, large-scale atlas aims to provide more definitive, broadly applicable results.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kaddurah-Daouk, Rima F — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Kaddurah-Daouk, Rima F
Related research
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Alzheimer’s disease and related brain changes linked to chemicals in the body
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Understanding how everyday exposures affect Alzheimer's disease progression
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Understanding how brain hyperexcitability and sex differences affect Alzheimer’s disease
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CNS Exosomes and Adaptive Immunity in Alzheimer’s Disease
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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.