Leading AD and related dementias research in Africa
Official title: Leading expandable research in Alzheimer's disease in Africa (LEAD Africa)
Funded at Boston University Medical Campus · NIH-11599551 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multi-country effort aims to build Africa’s capacity to study Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias using scalable, low-cost methods.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $80,200 |
| NIH project number | 3UG3AG090672-02S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11599551 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults 60 years and older in participating African communities who can engage with smartphone-based tools and local research staff.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without access to participating communities or who cannot engage with the study tools may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports creating an Africa-based AD/ADRD research framework that can operate in resource-limited settings. It centers on scalable data collection, point-of-care testing, and smartphone-enabled participation to include diverse populations. The project partners institutions in Ghana, Tanzania, Republic of the Congo, and the United States to establish collaborative infrastructure over a 2-year exploratory phase. The initiative prioritizes building local capacity so people in Africa could participate in precision medicine research now and in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could accelerate personalized approaches to AD/ADRD for people in Africa and improve global understanding of the disease.
How similar studies have gone: This approach is building on growing efforts to include diverse populations in AD/ADRD research, with early successes in scalable data collection in low-resource settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston University Medical Campus
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Au, Rhoda — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Au, Rhoda
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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.