Perimenopause and Brain Aging: Reducing Alzheimer’s Risk in Women
Official title: Perimenopause in Brain Aging and Alzheimer's Disease
Funded at University of Arizona · NIH-11423201 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large research program aims to understand why women have different risks of Alzheimer’s disease around menopause and how hormone therapy can be optimized to protect brain health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2006 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $5,109,022 |
| NIH project number | 2P01AG026572-21 |
| Project ID | NIH-11423201 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women in the perimenopausal period who may be considering or receiving menopausal hormone therapy and are at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
✕Less likely to help
Women outside the perimenopausal window or without Alzheimer’s risk factors may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This program explores how brain changes during the perimenopausal period influence Alzheimer’s risk and what makes menopausal hormone therapy beneficial or harmful. Researchers combine mechanistic studies, clinical observations, and population data to uncover who benefits most from hormone therapy and when to start it. The goal is to translate these findings into precisely timed, personalized hormone strategies to prevent Alzheimer’s disease in women at higher risk. The project seeks to connect biology with clinical care so that midlife women can maintain brain health longer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, women at risk for Alzheimer’s could receive more effective, individualized hormone therapies to protect brain health during midlife.
How similar studies have gone: Past studies show sex- and hormone-related differences in Alzheimer’s risk, with mixed results; this program builds on prior findings with a comprehensive, translational approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Arizona
Tucson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brinton, Roberta Eileen — University of Arizona
- Study coordinator: Brinton, Roberta Eileen
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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.