The National Institutes of Health has awarded researchers at UC San Diego and UC Davis a $15.85 million grant on Apr. 2 to support the next phase of one of the nation’s largest studies on brain aging in Hispanic and Latino communities.
Latinos are among the fastest-growing groups in the United States and face higher risks for heart disease, vascular conditions, and cognitive disorders such as mild cognitive impairment or dementia compared to other populations. Despite these risks, Latinos have been underrepresented in research focused on aging and dementia. The new funding will help create what is described as the most comprehensive long-term dataset on Hispanic and Latino brain aging to date.
“Latino communities have been historically overlooked in aging research. This grant allows us to change that,” said Hector González, Ph.D., co-principal investigator on the new grant and professor of neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “By studying brain health in a diverse and deeply characterized Latino cohort, we can develop better tools for early detection and more effective strategies for prevention that truly reflect our communities.”
The study aims to track changes in brain health among Latinos from various backgrounds over time. Charles DeCarli, UC Davis distinguished professor of neurology and principal investigator for the study, said: “Our goal is to identify the factors that matter most for healthy cognitive aging — and ultimately reduce the burden of dementia for millions of families.” He added: “Our new study will give us an unprecedented ability to understand how the brain changes over time in Latino communities.”
González previously helped launch the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) in 2008, enrolling more than 16,000 participants from continental (Mexico, South America, Central America) and Caribbean (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) origins across four centers: Miami, San Diego, Chicago, and New York. DeCarli said HCHS/SOL was unique because it included representative samples from diverse Hispanic-Latino backgrounds with varying social environments as well as genetic differences that may influence dementia risk.
With previous studies including SOL-INCA-MRI providing thousands of MRI scans from this population cohort—helping researchers examine links between sleep patterns or blood vessel health with brain function—the new NIH grant enables a shift toward long-term tracking instead of single snapshots. Over about twelve years ahead, approximately 1,800 Latino adults will be followed closely using repeated MRI scans alongside biomarker collection plus lifestyle information.
DeCarli said: “This new grant will allow us to build on our previous work and better understand the temporal factors affecting MCI [mild cognitive impairment] and dementia.” González emphasized their broader focus by saying: “We want to address dementia and Alzheimer’s disease but we also want to address other pathologies contributing to bad brain aging… What’s truly unique…is recognition…on understanding these other pathologies by using data from MRIs & biomarker panels.”
Researchers hope insights gained could lead not only toward earlier detection but also targeted interventions addressing modifiable risk factors such as high blood pressure within this growing community.
