Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Florida Division of Sponsored Research received a $2.78 million Project Grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866), effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030. This award supports research directed toward identifying early neural signatures of prodromal Alzheimer's disease (AD) that can distinguish between early cognitive decline and normal aging. The project delivers two primary research products: (1) computational analysis of electrical oscillatory features and brain network activity across 10 brain regions in mouse models of human tauopathy and wild-type controls to identify early neural biomarkers of prodromal AD; and (2) translational neuroimaging outputs that map identified electrical network features to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signatures relevant to early AD detection across the aging spectrum.

In the second phase, the research addresses the mechanistic role of brainstem monoaminergic neurons—specifically serotonergic and noradrenergic systems in the dorsal raphe nucleus and locus coeruleus—in driving network-level changes associated with tau pathology and neurodegeneration. The project aims to deliver actionable neural signatures and mechanistic insights that support earlier identification of individuals at risk for dementia, advancing the NIA's mission to support research that prevents and treats Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.