UC San Diego Wins 2 Grants in $50 Million Push for Women's Brain Health

3 articles · Updated · Patch · Jun 16

Two UC San Diego grants, awarded over three years, will study whether menopause and hormone therapy affect women's dementia risk and build tools for earlier Alzheimer's detection.
One Wellcome Leap CARE-backed award funds Judy Pa and Iris Broce-Diaz to analyze existing datasets like a clinical trial and to combine brain imaging, blood biomarkers and computational modeling into a clinician decision-support tool.
That tool is aimed at helping primary care doctors and neurologists spot patients at heightened near-term dementia risk earlier, when referral, intervention and planning may be most effective.
A second, anonymous award also links UC San Diego with UC San Francisco and UC Santa Barbara on the Longitudinal Menopause Project, which will follow women ages 40 to 55 through menopause.
The awards are part of a broader investment of more than $50 million in women's brain health, reflecting efforts to explain why women face higher Alzheimer's risk and to improve prevention and treatment.

Sources

Patch35d ago

UC San Diego Researchers Secure Major Grants for Women's Brain Health, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Research

FOX 5 San Diego36d ago

UC San Diego to study menopause, hormone therapy, and dementia

University of California San Diego36d ago

UC San Diego Researchers Receive Major Grants for Women’s Brain Health, Alzheimer’s Research

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UC San Diego Leads $50M Global Push to Cut Women’s Alzheimer’s Risk by 50%: New Grants, AI Tools, and Menopause Research

Overview

UC San Diego has secured two major grants as part of a $50 million global investment led by the Wellcome Leap CARE program, which aims to halve Alzheimer’s risk for women by focusing on neuroendocrine factors linked to menopause. Among the funded projects, Dr. Judy Pa’s Menopausal Hormone Therapy Study stands out for its detailed tracking of women through menopause to uncover how hormonal changes affect brain health. This initiative highlights a new era in women’s brain research, connecting global funding, targeted scientific goals, and innovative studies to address critical gaps in understanding and treating neurological conditions in women.

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