Researchers aim to understand brain health and heart-disease links in African American communities to prevent dementia
Official title: North Carolina Agricultural and Technincal State University: Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI)
Funded at North Carolina Agri & Tech St Univ · NIH-11234878 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A nationwide program at a US university will study how brain health and heart-related conditions intersect in African American adults to reduce dementia risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina Agri & Tech St Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Greensboro, United States) |
| Project start | August 4, 2026 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $3,905,789 |
| NIH project number | 1U54MD020891-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11234878 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
African American adults and communities in North Carolina who are at risk for cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without risk factors or who do not engage with community outreach may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports building stronger research infrastructure and training investigators to study brain health and cardiometabolic diseases in African American communities. It includes two large projects that look for biomarkers and innovative tools to identify early risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s risk. The work emphasizes engaging minority communities to ensure findings translate into prevention and health equity. The team will develop cost-effective nanosensors and bioelectronic devices to help diagnose or monitor brain-health related changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from earlier detection and targeted prevention strategies for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s risk tied to cardiometabolic health.
How similar studies have gone: Past efforts show that community-engaged, biomarker-focused approaches can improve early detection of cognitive decline, though diverse populations are often underrepresented.
Where this research is happening
-
North Carolina Agri & Tech St Univ
Greensboro, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cook, Marc D — North Carolina Agri & Tech St Univ
- Study coordinator: Cook, Marc D
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.