UC Irvine awarded $18 million grant to lead landmark dementia study

UCI MIND secures National Institute on Aging funding to study an important new degenerative brain disease

Orange, Calif. — With an $18 million, five-year grant from the National Institute on Aging, UCI MIND researchers will lead a landmark multi-center study on dementia, while shining a brighter light on the University of California, Irvine’s position as a global leader in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research.

The project will establish the nation’s first trial-ready patient group for limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE). This common but underrecognized condition is present in the brains of up to 40% of older adults, highlighting the urgent need for focused studies and clinical trials. The study aims to improve the diagnosis of LATE during life and to recruit participants to future clinical trials of this disease.

“LATE mimics Alzheimer’s disease in its symptoms yet stems from a distinct pathology. In the absence of reliable biomarkers, distinguishing the two conditions during life remains challenging. This study will advance efforts to develop accurate diagnostic tools for LATE and lay the foundation for recruiting participants into future clinical trials targeting this disease,” said study lead UCI Health neurologist Dr. S. Ahmad Sajjadi, a associate professor of neurology in the UC Irvine School of Medicine.

Participants who are at least 85 years old and fulfill the inclusion criteria will be recruited from five federally funded Alzheimer’s disease research centers (ARDC) at the participating sites, including the one at UCI MIND. In addition to clinical and cognitive assessments, the participants will undergo annual MRI scans, blood draws and bi-annual glucose PET scans to validate the existing and discover new biomarkers for LATE. They will also participate in recruitment studies to learn about factors affecting their willingness to participate in future clinical trials of LATE.

Another innovative aspect of the project will be ecological momentary assessments, which are remote digital assessments performed at participants’ homes. The EMA allows for repeated assessment of participants’ cognition in their own environment, enabling more realistic evaluations of cognitive abilities. All participating sites will launch recruitment campaigns to identify eligible participants either from existing cohorts or through new recruitment to join the respective ADRCs.

Funding validates study's importance

The funding comes amid delays and threatened cuts to the National Institutes of Health budget.

“Securing this major grant during these challenging times is a testament to the importance of the proposed study and to the outstanding track record of our team at UC Irvine and our collaborators,” said UCI MIND Director Joshua Grill, PhD.

Besides Sajjadi and Grill, two other multiple principal investigators, both faculty members in the Department of Neurology, will round out the collaborative leadership team. Dr. Ali Ezzatti is an associate professor and an expert in informatics and artificial intelligence. Crystal Glover, PhD, is also an associate professor and an expert in mixed methods and recruitment science.

A collaborative approach

The funding comes two months after UCI MIND received $21 million renewal grant from the National Institute on Aging to reinforce its status as a global leader in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research. The five-year award supports the continued work of UCI MIND’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, which has been advancing understanding of memory impairments and engaging with the community for more than 40 years.

UCI MIND’s research assimilates expertise from across campus – one of its defining strengths. With more than 60 faculty members from over 20 departments, the institute supports collaboration among world-class experts in neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, pathology, geriatrics, statistics, public health and more.

UCI MIND is recognized nationally for its landmark studies and innovative research initiatives. It was the first to establish dedicated cores for induced pluripotent stem cells – powerful tools for studying disease mechanisms – and distinctive “special populations,” including the oldest old and people with Down syndrome. These programs have positioned UC Irvine as a national leader in understanding how Alzheimer’s manifests across unique groups.

Benefits for OC community

The impact of UCI MIND extends well beyond the clinic and the lab. Each year, thousands of Orange County residents benefit from free in-person events, as well as digital outreach and educational resources, making the center a trusted hub for the latest information on brain health and aging.

The institute is also deeply involved in clinical trials, serving as a key site in the NIH-funded Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium and helping lead the IMPACT-AD training initiative for future clinical trial investigators, in partnership with USC and other consortium members.

More than 6,000 Orange County residents have joined UC Irvine’s Consent-to-Contact Registry, an innovative, voluntary database that connects individuals with relevant clinical studies. This effort has generated over 10,000 referrals, greatly accelerating the pace of research and giving community members a straightforward way to contribute to scientific progress.

“Clinically focused studies are a cornerstone of our mission,” Grill said, “because they bring our research directly into the community – through clinical trials, educational programs and partnerships that empower people to make informed decisions about their brain health.”