Grants Total Nearly $1 Million
FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, FL. – Researchers at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) have recently been awarded two National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to investigate risk factors and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Lisa S. Robison, Ph.D. and William R. Kochen, Ph.D. from NSU’s College of Psychology and Benedict C. Albensi, Ph.D. from NSU’s Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy received the NIH grants:
- Sex-based differences of a high fat diet in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – this research is 100% supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) award R16NS134540, in the amount of $616,000.
- Effects of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a mouse model of cerebralamyloid angiopathy (CAA) – this research is 100% supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) award 1R03AG081865-01, in the amount of $308,000.
“Two-thirds of those with Alzheimer’s disease are women, and no one knows why,” said Dr. Albensi. “We know that, generally, women live longer than men, but increased longevity alone does not explain these higher rates in women.”
These two NIH-funded projects will examine potential causative agents for AD in general, and in women in particular.
Albensi said that risk factors, such as poor nutrition, increase the risk for AD several fold. The project he leads will explore the effects of high fat diet and resulting obesity and diabetes to determine how they might further exacerbate the pathology seen in Alzheimer’s disease. Therapeutic treatments will be tested to see if sex-based differences exist under these conditions.
“Brain injury, such as those commonly sustained during participation in contact sports, military service, and as a result of domestic abuse, is another known risk factor for dementia,” said Dr. Robison. “We still need more information about how even mild brain injuries significantly increase dementia risk so that we can intervene effectively.”
The project she leads investigates damage to the brain’s blood vessels by toxic proteins (cerebral amyloid angiopathy) as a potential link between the two conditions.
Albensi said that the team believes the results will likely lead to more effective and personalized preventative measures and drug treatments that take sex into account more critically.
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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): At NSU, students don’t just get an education, they get the competitive edge they need for real careers, real contributions and real life. A dynamic, private research university, NSU is providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels. Established in 1964, the university includes 14 colleges, the “theme park” for start-ups, scale-ups , and entrepreneurs, the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, the private PK1-12 grade University School, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, one of Florida’s largest public libraries. NSU students learn at our campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and online globally. With more than 200,000 alumni across the globe, the reach of the NSU community is worldwide. Classified as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 59 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information.
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