UNT Health Fort Worth’s Institute for Translational Research hosted its annual meeting for the Health and Aging Brain Study – Health Disparities from Sept. 17-19 at the Crescent Hotel in Fort Worth. The event brought together leading researchers, representatives from the National Institutes of Health and project leaders from across the country to advance scientific understanding of brain aging and health disparities.

The Institute for Translational Research leads global efforts to advance precision health for the aging brain. Its scientists study the biology of the brain, how it functions and why it varies among individuals. The institute’s state-of-the-art Clinical Research Center on the UNT Health Fort Worth campus provides researchers worldwide with access to data and collaboration opportunities to improve brain health. It is the only location where Health and Aging Brain Study – Health Disparities participants are seen, right in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. Sixteen universities nationwide collaborate with the institute on this research, working toward the goal of achieving optimal brain health for all.

Three years into the study, funded by a $148.78 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, the team has enrolled more than 5,000 participants and generated data that is transforming Alzheimer’s research worldwide.

The three-day meeting featured discussions, updates and progress reports from research teams across the consortium. Led by Multi-Principal Investigators Drs. Sid O’Bryant, Kristine Yaffe, Robert Rissman, Leigh Johnson and Arthur Toga, the sessions covered key research areas, including clinical work, neuroimaging, omics, outreach and biostatistics and data management.

Highlights included:

• Core updates: Presentations from leading scientists such as Drs. Meredith Braskie, Mark Mapstone, Monica Rivera Mindt, Melissa Petersen and Carl V. Hill addressed milestones, challenges and goals across research areas. Key statistics included:
  • 5,000+ participants enrolled
  • 9,400+ visits completed
  • 30,000+ samples processed during the study
  • 20,000+ MRI, tau PET and amyloid PET scans completed
  • 100% outreach recruitment goal achieved
• Project spotlights: Discussion on the impact of the AT(N) framework across populations, with emphasis on exposome and vascular, metabolic and inflammatory factors.
• Innovative research: Presentations on machine learning applications for predicting cognitive impairment risk and the use of blood biomarkers to predict amyloid PET positivity.

The meeting also included strategic planning sessions focused on renewal, adaptation and future growth.

“This annual gathering is a vital opportunity to reflect on our progress and chart the course forward,” said Dr. Sid O’Bryant. “The work being done through this study is reaching more than 35 countries and transforming how we understand and address disparities in brain health.”

Among the presenters was Dr. Ozioma Okonkwo, professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and co-lead of the development core. “The development core runs the Health Enhancement Scientific Program, which trains the next generation of scientists focused on Alzheimer’s and other dementias,” he said. Since 2022, the program has enrolled 12 scholars who have produced extensive publications, presentations and grants. Learn more about the program at hesp.medicine.wisc.edu/habs-hd.

Dr. Kristine Yaffe, professor at the University of California, San Francisco, said, “One of my favorite parts of the meeting each year is reconnecting with colleagues who share the same goals and seeing how far we’ve come.” Yaffe noted that her current research involves using objective sleep measures with about 1,000 participants to study how sleep affects Alzheimer’s disease and brain aging.

The research team continues to lead globally in data-driven studies focused on improving brain health outcomes and advancing the institute’s mission of achieving optimal brain health worldwide.

For more information about the Institute for Translational Research and the Health and Aging Brain Study – Health Disparities, visit unthealth.edu/itr or follow on LinkedIn and X.

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