The National Science Foundation awarded a $1,099,733 project grant to the University of Arizona under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to investigate neural stem cell mechanisms of resilience across the lifespan. Over a four-year period ending August 2026, the university will study how neural stem cells change at the cellular, molecular, and functional levels over time using aging rodent models. The project will specifically examine the role of female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone in this process, building on the principal investigator's prior work identifying critical periods of neural stem cell vulnerability and the role of the NRF2 transcription factor in regulating function with age. Outcomes will help define attributes of this stem cell class and reveal mechanisms underlying their resilience. The university will also incorporate the research into training a diverse set of undergraduate and graduate students in stem cell and brain resilience research.
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