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Friends of BrainHealth announced six research award recipients at a September 28 luncheon, with a live audience vote selecting a seventh project. The awards support studies of early brain changes, dementia risk and resilience, caregiver well-being, metabolic health and Alzheimer’s disease, and are intended to help researchers build work that could compete for larger Texas state grants.
Friends of BrainHealth awarded grants to six research projects and named a seventh recipient through an audience vote at its annual scientist selection luncheon on September 28, directing more than $466,000 toward research on dementia prevention and brain health. The Center for BrainHealth awards are intended to support early-stage work and help researchers build a case for pursuing larger grants from Texas’s Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
The funded projects cover a range of research questions, including how to detect early brain changes, identify dementia risk and resilience, support caregivers, and study metabolic health and Alzheimer’s disease. The awards were presented at the Ramona Jones Friends of BrainHealth Scientist Selection Luncheon at Dallas Country Club. Three finalists competed for the audience-choice award in a live presentation format.
Three awards went to established investigators in a new Visionary Scientist category. Zhengsi Chang and Ziwei Zhang will study biomarker patterns associated with cognitive resilience across different courses of Alzheimer’s disease. Francesca Filbey’s project will use longitudinal neuroimaging to examine brain resilience and metabolic health in the setting of GLP-1-based therapy. Dan Krawczyk will investigate a light-guided training intervention intended to improve brain health and reduce dementia risk.
Three other awards recognized emerging scientists. Mary Glen’s project will assess whether the BrainHealth Index can reliably track early changes in brain health. Gayathri Maruthy will examine dementia risk and resilience profiles using eight determinants, with cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Ashley Campos and Stephanie Rodriguez will test a mindfulness-based approach to support the well-being of dementia caregivers. The audience-choice award went to Christine Dugas, whose project will examine links between retinal vascular health, neuronal health and dementia risk factors.
Seed Grants Aim to Build Larger Studies
The awards provide early funding for projects at different stages, from testing measurement tools to examining possible interventions and risk profiles. Seed funding can help research teams develop preliminary evidence and refine study methods. The Center for BrainHealth says the 2026 grants are intended to position its researchers to compete for multimillion-dollar DPRIT grants, which could support larger, translational research over the coming decade.
That pathway matters because dementia prevention research spans many questions and populations, while early studies are not themselves proof that an approach can prevent dementia or improve outcomes. The projects announced here are investigations: their descriptions do not report findings, and the listed interventions and measures still require evaluation. The grants nonetheless direct donor funding toward a portfolio that includes early detection, caregiver support, cognitive resilience and metabolic health.
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A Donor Circle With a New Funding Path
Friends of BrainHealth has operated for nearly 20 years. According to the report, the donor circle has raised $6 million since it began and awarded 69 seedling grants to researchers. Its model is to provide early philanthropic support so investigators can test ideas and develop evidence that may help them pursue further funding.
The 2026 program adds the Visionary Scientist category alongside its Emerging Scientists awards. The awards coincide with the emergence of DPRIT, a Texas state funding opportunity focused on dementia prevention and research. The reported aim is for philanthropy-funded projects to strengthen applications for larger grants; the announcement does not say that any of the awardees have secured DPRIT funding.
“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
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Study Results Have Not Been Reported
The announcement describes the funded projects and their aims, but does not provide study results, timelines or participant details. It is not clear when each project will begin or how long the research will take. No evidence is presented that the interventions under study prevent dementia or that the proposed measures can predict an individual’s risk.
The report also does not specify how much of the more than $466,000 will go to each project, or whether any project has already applied for or received DPRIT funding. The stated connection to larger state grants is an intended pathway, not confirmation of future awards.
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Researchers Begin the Funded Work
The next step is for the selected research teams to carry out their proposed studies and report findings through appropriate research channels. The announcement provides no publication schedule or specific milestones. Whether the work leads to applications for DPRIT funding, and whether those applications are successful, remains to be seen.
Readers can expect later updates to clarify project progress, methods and results. Until then, the awards mark a funding commitment to research questions rather than evidence that any particular prevention strategy or early-detection method is effective.
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Key Questions
How many projects received Friends of BrainHealth awards?
Seven projects received awards: six recognized at the September 28 luncheon and one selected by audience vote from three finalists.
How much funding was announced?
Friends of BrainHealth campaign co-chair Andy Walsh said supporters invested more than $466,000 in the 2026 research awards. The report does not give an amount for each project.
What topics will the funded projects study?
The projects address early brain changes, dementia risk and resilience, caregiver well-being, cognitive resilience, metabolic health, Alzheimer’s disease and possible early-detection measures.
Do the awards show that any of the proposed approaches prevent dementia?
No. The announcement describes research plans, not findings. The projects will investigate their questions; the report does not establish that any intervention or measure prevents dementia or improves health outcomes.
Have the researchers received larger Texas state grants?
The announcement says the seed awards are intended to help researchers compete for larger grants from the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. It does not report that any awardee has received DPRIT funding.
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