Sleep and aging brain resilience in a short-lived vertebrate model
Official title: Investigating the role of sleep in brain resilience during aging using a scalable and short-lived vertebrate model
Funded at Princeton University · NIH-11539189 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A young-aged-friendly project explores how sleep quality affects brain health during aging, using a tiny, fast-lived fish model to understand Alzheimer’s-related changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Princeton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Princeton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00AG076879-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11539189 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease or with early aging-related brain changes who may benefit from sleep-focused interventions.
✕Less likely to help
Findings may not directly apply to individuals without aging-related brain changes or Alzheimer’s disease risk.
What this research studies
This project uses the African killifish, a tiny fish with a very short lifespan, to study how sleep patterns influence brain aging and the risk of disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers will measure sleep timing and duration as animals age, then alter sleep to see how those changes affect cognitive function and brain health. They will also test whether improving sleep can boost brain resilience in a model that overexpresses Alzheimer’s-related amyloid beta, aiming to translate findings to human aging and dementia risks.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify sleep-focused strategies to support brain health in aging and potentially delay or reduce the impact of Alzheimer’s-related changes.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier aging and sleep studies in animal models have shown links between sleep and brain health, with this approach offering a scalable, faster way to explore mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Princeton University
Princeton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nath, Ravi — Princeton University
- Study coordinator: Nath, Ravi
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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.