Updated · University of California San Diego · Jun 16
UC San Diego Researchers Win 2 Alzheimer’s Grants in $50 Million Women’s Brain Health Push
Updated
Updated · University of California San Diego · Jun 16
UC San Diego Researchers Win 2 Alzheimer’s Grants in $50 Million Women’s Brain Health Push
3 articles · Updated · University of California San Diego · Jun 16
Summary
Two new awards to UC San Diego will fund three years of Alzheimer’s research on menopause, hormone therapy and earlier dementia detection as part of a broader $50 million women’s brain health effort.
One grant backs linked projects led by Judy Pa and Iris Broce-Diaz, including an AI-driven clinical tool that combines female-specific risk factors, biomarkers, imaging and clinical data to predict near-term dementia risk.
Later this year, UC San Diego plans a research-use pilot of an imaging-based version with primary care clinicians, with the team aiming for broader clinical use as the tool is refined toward FDA clearance.
A second award supports the Longitudinal Menopause Project with UC San Francisco and UC Santa Barbara, tracking women ages 40 to 55 before, during and after menopause to map brain and body changes tied to later dementia risk.
The work targets a major gap in Alzheimer’s research: women make up nearly two-thirds of people living with the disease, but the drivers of that higher risk remain unclear.
If menopause is a key risk window, what other female-specific life stages could impact long-term brain health?
As an AI predicting dementia risk pilots in 2026, what can women do if it flags them as high-risk?
Hormone therapy's effect on the brain is debated. Will this research finally give women a clear answer on its safety?
UC San Diego Leads $50M Global Push to Cut Women’s Alzheimer’s Risk by 50%: New Grants, AI Tools, and Menopause Research
Overview
UC San Diego has secured two major grants as part of a $50 million global investment led by the Wellcome Leap CARE program, which aims to halve Alzheimer’s risk for women by focusing on neuroendocrine factors linked to menopause. Among the funded projects, Dr. Judy Pa’s Menopausal Hormone Therapy Study stands out for its detailed tracking of women through menopause to uncover how hormonal changes affect brain health. This initiative highlights a new era in women’s brain research, connecting global funding, targeted scientific goals, and innovative studies to address critical gaps in understanding and treating neurological conditions in women.