Why some brains resist or cope with Alzheimer's
Official title: Investigating Resistance and Resilience Mechanisms in Alzheimer’s Disease
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11299506 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers use brain scans and long-term health records to find why some older adults avoid or cope better with Alzheimer's changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2017 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $779,639 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG056366-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11299506 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults enrolled in population studies like the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging who can consent to brain imaging, cognitive testing, and sharing medical history are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not part of research cohorts or who cannot undergo imaging or long-term follow-up are unlikely to directly participate or benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This project follows people in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging over time, tracking their brain scans, memory tests, and health history. Researchers look at measures of amyloid and tau proteins, brain structure, and cognitive performance to identify who shows resistance (avoiding protein buildup) or resilience (coping despite buildup). They will use existing long-term data and advanced statistical models to map how risk factors, brain mechanisms, and changes in proteins relate to memory decline. The goal is to pinpoint protective factors that could guide future prevention strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new ways to prevent or delay dementia by targeting brain mechanisms that protect against Alzheimer's damage.
How similar studies have gone: Past multi-domain prevention trials and studies of amyloid and tau have given helpful clues, and this project applies a newer resistance-and-resilience framework to build on that work.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vemuri, Prashanthi — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Vemuri, Prashanthi
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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.