Understanding Alzheimer's in African American and Mexican American adults
Official title: HABS-HD - Project 2
Funded at University of North Texas Hlth Sci Ctr · NIH-11173852 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at brain changes and health factors linked to Alzheimer's in African American and Mexican American adults to understand why the disease affects them differently.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of North Texas Hlth Sci Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fort Worth, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $523,740 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AG078109-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11173852 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are African American or Mexican American adults (age 21+) who have Alzheimer's disease or related dementia, are at risk for dementia, or carry the APOE ε4 gene variant.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not African American or Mexican American or whose memory problems are caused by conditions unrelated to Alzheimer's may not directly benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will enroll African American and Mexican American adults and collect medical history, blood samples, cognitive tests, and brain imaging to measure amyloid, tau, and brain health. They will also measure vascular, metabolic, and inflammatory factors to see how these health issues relate to memory loss. The team will compare these data to existing biomarker models that were developed mostly in non-Hispanic white people. The goal is to determine whether common tests and models work for these communities and to find early pathways that may explain higher disease burden.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier, more accurate diagnosis and treatments tailored to African American and Mexican American people with or at risk for Alzheimer's.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work using the AT(N) biomarker framework has produced useful findings in mostly white populations, but applying these approaches to African American and Mexican American groups is relatively new and less tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of North Texas Hlth Sci Ctr
Fort Worth, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'bryant, Sid E — University of North Texas Hlth Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: O'bryant, Sid E
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.