Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Aging awarded a $738,105 Project Grant to Massachusetts General Hospital (awarded February 15, 2026, with completion by January 31, 2031) under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) to conduct a comprehensive epidemiological and clinical research study examining cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and related dementias among people living with HIV in Uganda. The research deliverables include neuropsychological assessments of 600 older adults (both HIV-positive with virologic suppression and HIV-negative controls) conducted annually over four years, diagnostic classification of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias using multi-disciplinary case consensus criteria, and identification of pathophysiologic contributors through advanced plasma biomarkers and neuroimaging. The study leverages machine learning methodologies to elucidate underlying disease mechanisms and establish cognitive performance trajectories between the two populations.

This project addresses a significant public health gap in sub-Saharan Africa, where over 25 million people living with HIV are reaching older age without established data on dementia risk in this population. By combining comprehensive neuropsychological testing, brain magnetic resonance imaging, fluid and imaging biomarkers, and machine learning analysis, the research aims to determine disease phenotypes and etiologies while examining social and clinical health determinants specific to the Ugandan context—factors that cannot be extrapolated from other populations and are essential for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies.