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Friends of BrainHealth awarded six research grants in 2026, backing projects on early brain changes, dementia risk and resilience, caregiver well-being and metabolic health. The awards total more than $466,000 across the donor community and are intended to help Center for BrainHealth researchers build evidence for possible larger state grants.
Friends of BrainHealth recognized six projects for its 2026 research awards at a September 28 luncheon in Dallas, supporting work on early brain changes, dementia risk and resilience, caregiver well-being and related topics. The awards are intended to give Center for BrainHealth researchers early funding as they develop research that could compete for larger grants from the state’s Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
The six projects were honored at the Ramona Jones Friends of BrainHealth Scientist Selection Luncheon at Dallas Country Club. Three finalists also competed for a seventh award in a live audience vote, a format the organization describes as part of its tradition of involving donors directly in research selection. The report identifies Christine Dugas, PhD, as the recipient of the Audience Choice Emerging Scientist Award.
This year’s grants span two categories. Three awards went to established investigators in the Visionary Scientist category, while three named awards recognized emerging researchers, alongside the audience-choice award. The projects include research into Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, a light-guided training intervention, the BrainHealth Index, profiles of dementia risk and resilience, mindfulness-based support for caregivers, and the relationship between retinal and neuronal health.
The donor circle said its supporters invested more than $466,000 in innovative brain health research this year. Since its founding nearly 20 years ago, Friends of BrainHealth reports raising $6 million and awarding 69 seedling grants. The report presents the grants as early-stage support; it does not describe them as evidence that any proposed approach prevents dementia or improves health outcomes.
Seed Grants Aim to Build Larger Studies
The awards matter because they provide early funding for research ideas that may need preliminary results before investigators can seek larger-scale support. Friends of BrainHealth says the 2026 grants are designed to help researchers strengthen the scientific basis of their projects and potentially compete for multimillion-dollar awards from DPRIT, the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
That is a potential pathway, not a guarantee of later funding or successful translation into clinical practice. Still, the topics cover several points in the dementia research landscape: detecting changes earlier, examining factors linked to risk or resilience, and supporting people who care for those living with dementia. If the projects produce useful evidence, they could inform the design of future research, though the current announcement does not report study results.
The approach also places private philanthropy alongside public grant programs. The donor circle’s stated role is to help researchers test and develop ideas at an early stage, while larger state grants could support broader work. The award announcement gives no timetable for DPRIT applications or for when findings from these projects may be available.
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A Two-Decade Research Funding Effort
Friends of BrainHealth is a donor circle associated with the Center for BrainHealth. According to the report, it has backed research for nearly two decades through seedling grants intended to help scientists investigate early-stage ideas. The 2026 awards add a new Visionary Scientist category for experienced principal investigators, expanding beyond the Emerging Scientists category.
The supported projects address different questions and methods. Zhengsi Chang, PhD, and Ziwei Zhang, PhD, will examine biomarker dynamics associated with cognitive resilience across differing courses of Alzheimer’s disease. Francesca Filbey, PhD, will lead a longitudinal neuroimaging study on brain resilience and metabolic health in the setting of GLP-1-based therapy. Dan Krawczyk, PhD, will investigate a light-guided training intervention intended to improve brain health and reduce dementia risk.
The emerging-scientist projects include Mary Glen, MBA’s work on the reliability and validity of the BrainHealth Index for monitoring early brain changes, and Gayathri Maruthy, PhD’s examination of dementia risk and resilience profiles using eight determinants. Ashley Campos, MS, and Stephanie Rodriguez, MS, will test a mindfulness-based approach for caregiver well-being. Dugas’s audience-choice project will study retinal vascular and neuronal health in relation to dementia risk factors, using the BrainHealth Index to measure change.
“This year, our community of supporters invested more than $466,000 in innovative research focused on brain health and dementia prevention.”
— Andy Walsh, 2026 Friends of BrainHealth campaign co-chair
Research Outcomes Are Still Unknown
The announcement describes the projects and their intended areas of study, but it does not provide results, trial designs, participant numbers, or project timelines. It is not clear when the research will begin or when findings will be published. The report also does not specify how much funding each project received or provide details of the eligibility and selection process.
The possible connection to larger DPRIT grants remains prospective. The awards are described as helping researchers build a foundation to compete for state funding, but no future grant decisions are reported. The announcement also does not establish that the interventions under study prevent dementia, nor that the proposed measures can identify individual risk in routine care.
Projects Build Evidence for Future Funding
The awardees are expected to carry out the research described in their proposals, with the seed funding supporting early investigation. A later milestone would be publication of study findings or applications for larger grants, including potential DPRIT funding. No application dates, award decisions, or research-result deadlines are provided in the announcement, so the timing of those steps remains unknown.
For now, the confirmed development is the allocation of donor-backed awards to seven projects, including the audience-choice recipient. The next substantive update will depend on the investigators reporting methods and findings, and on whether any projects advance to larger-scale studies.
Key Questions
How many projects received 2026 Friends of BrainHealth awards?
Six projects were recognized at the September 28 luncheon, and three finalists competed for a seventh award through a live audience vote. Christine Dugas, PhD, received the Audience Choice Emerging Scientist Award.
What research areas do the awards cover?
The projects address early brain changes, Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, dementia risk and resilience, caregiver well-being, metabolic health, and a light-guided training intervention. One project will also examine retinal and neuronal health in relation to dementia risk factors.
How much funding did Friends of BrainHealth provide this year?
The report says the Friends of BrainHealth community invested more than $466,000 in research this year. It does not list individual award amounts.
Do the awards show that any of the projects prevent dementia?
No. The announcement describes research aims, not completed results. The projects will investigate questions related to brain health and dementia risk; the report does not establish that any intervention prevents dementia.
What could happen after the seed grants?
Friends of BrainHealth says the awards are meant to help researchers build evidence and potentially compete for larger grants from the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. No future application schedule or funding decision is reported.
Source: rss
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