Mapping brain tissue around blood vessels to understand aging and Alzheimer's disease
Official title: Mapping the perivascular reticular network in health, aging, and AD
Funded at Rush University Medical Center · NIH-11463391 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists will closely study a thin brain layer around blood vessels to see how it changes with aging and Alzheimer’s, using donated brain tissue and advanced imaging.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rush University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $667,605 |
| NIH project number | 4RF1AG083765-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11463391 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults 21 years or older whose brain tissue is available through ROSMAP and related resources.
✕Less likely to help
This study uses donated brain tissue and does not involve live patient participation.
What this research studies
This project will use high-resolution microscopy and immunohistochemistry to map the structure of the pia mater, the tissue around brain vessels, in humans. It will examine how this perivascular network changes with age and how those changes relate to Alzheimer’s pathology and other neurological measures. The study leverages ROSMAP resources to connect physical brain structure with clinical and pathological data. Results could illuminate new ways that brain clearance systems and blood vessel health influence dementia. The work is laboratory-based but directly tied to human brain tissue and aging.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to new targets for supporting brain clearance systems and resilience against dementia.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked perivascular spaces to aging and neurodegenerative disease, but detailed human pia structure mapping is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mehta, Rupal I. — Rush University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Mehta, Rupal I.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
-
Understanding how brain resilience and multiple brain pathologies influence aging and Alzheimer's disease
A long-term study follows older adults to learn how resilience to brain changes helps reduce dementia risk and what biological factors are linked to better cognitive aging.
-
National Neighborhood Data Archive helps researchers study aging health in U.S. neighborhoods
A nationwide data resource will help researchers understand how where people live affects health and aging, with a focus on respiratory illnesses in older adults.
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.