2024 BrightFocus Research Grant Awards
For more than 50 years, BrightFocus Foundation has supported cutting-edge research into Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. See what we are funding this year:
Alzheimer's Disease Research
With generous donor support, BrightFocus Foundation’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research program has funded more than $180 million in research to understand and cure Alzheimer’s. With our grants, scientists worldwide are tackling the disease from many angles, investigating how complex systems (cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune) interact to develop earlier detection strategies and novel treatments. Our current portfolio of 112 active projects worldwide offers huge promise and opportunity to defeat this heartbreaking disease.
Grants Awarded in 2024:
The Effect of Alzheimer's Disease on Neurons Across the Sleep/Wake Cycle
Md. Joynal Abedin, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital
Mentor: Ksenia Kastanenka, PhD
Sleep and Circadian Rhythm
Decoding the Role of an Alzheimer's Causal Gene in Distinct Brain Cell Types
Willem Annaert, PhD
Flemish Institute for Biotechnology
Other Misfolded Proteins
The Effects of Peripheral APOE2 on Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology and Pathways
Guojun Bu, PhD
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (China)
Biology of Fats & Proteins (APOE)
Understanding Alzheimer's Risk and Immune Health in Heart Disease
Brittany Butts, PhD
Emory University
Co-Principal Investigator: Whitney Wharton, PhD
Immunity & Inflammation
Neurostimulation to Improve Depression and Memory in Dementia
Davide Cappon, PhD
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center
Cells and Circuits
Shining a Light on How Early Tau-Related Brain Changes Affect Memory Loss
Martin J. Dahl, PhD
Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Germany)
Mentor: Ulman Lindenberger, Ph
Biomarkers
The Role of the Immune System in Driving Cognitive Decline
Hannah Ennerfelt, PhD
Stanford University
Mentor: Katrin Andreasson, MD
Immunity & Inflammation
Assessing the Impact of Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease
Joshna Gadhavi, PhD
Emory University
Mentor: Nicholas Seyfried, PhD
Tau
Identifying New Memory and Brain Markers for Early Alzheimer's Disease
Helena Gellersen, PhD
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (Germany)
Mentor: David Berron, PhD
Biomarkers
Targeting Brain Cell Miscommunication to Restore Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease
Amira Latif Hernandez, PhD
Stanford University
Cells & Circuits
Identifying the Mechanisms That Underlie Tau Aggregation & Neurotoxicity
Sarah Kaufman, MD, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Mentors: Martin Kampmann, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles; William Seeley, MD
The Impact of Tau
Recipient, Dr. Edward H. Koo Postdoctoral Fellowship Award for Alzheimer's Disease Research
Defining the Impact of Cytokine Signaling in Alzheimer’s Disease
Dong Kyu Kim, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Immunity & Inflammation
Does Alzheimer’s Disease Accelerate Brain Aging?
María Llorens-Martín, PhD
Spanish National Research Council (Spain)
Cells and Circuits
Cancer-Like Metabolic Changes in Alzheimer's Disease Neurons
Jerome Mertens, PhD
University of California, San Diego
Metabolism & Bioenergetics
Decoding Alzheimer’s Disease Genomes with Deep Learning
Tatsuhiko Naito, MD, PhD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mentor: Towfique Raj, PhD
Genetics
Uncovering How Gene Regulators Protect Neurons Against Alzheimer's
Raffaella Nativio, PhD
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (U.K.)
Genetics
Progranulin as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer's Disease
Andrew D. Nguyen, PhD
Saint Louis University
Co-Principal Investigator: Susan Farr, PhD
Cells and Circuits
The Role of the Brain Vascular-Immune Processes in Alzheimer’s
Julie Ottoy, PhD
Sunnybrook Research Institute (Canada)
Mentors: Sandra Black, MD and Maged Goubran, PhD, University of Toronto
Vascular Contributions to Dementia
The Role of Immune Cells' Interaction in Alzheimer's Disease Pathology
Emanuela Pasciuto, PhD
Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (Belgium)
Immunity & Inflammation
Characterizing Factors That Induce Waste Clearance in Microglia
Anna Podlesny-Drabiniok, PhD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Co-Principal Investigator: Alison Goate, DPhil
Waste-Clearance Mechanisms
Evaluating the Role of the TDP-43 Protein in Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis
Mercedes Prudencio, PhD
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
Co-Principal Investigator: Yongjie Zhang, PhD
Other Misfolded Proteins
Unlocking Tau’s Secrets: Human Brain Cells in the Mouse Brain
Wenhui Qu, PhD
Weill Cornell Medicine
Mentor: Li Gan, PhD
The Impact of Tau
Staging Alzheimer's Disease Using Blood Samples
Gemma Salvadó, PhD
Lund University (Sweden)
Mentor: Oskar Hansson, MD, PhD
Biomarkers
The Role of the Immune System in Alzheimer's Disease
Paula Sanchez-Molina, PhD
Oregon Health & Science University
Mentor: Bahareh Ajami, PhD
Immunity & Inflammation
Regulation of Microglia Phenotypes in Alzheimer’s Disease
Johannes Schlachetzki, PhD
University of California, San Diego
Immunity & Inflammation
Circadian Rhythm Disruption and Alzheimer's Disease
Ashish Sharma, PhD
Washington University in St. Louis
Mentor: Erik Musiek, PhD
Sleep & Circadian Rhythm
Understanding Tau Seeds: The Role of Protein Clumps on Membrane in Alzheimer's Disease
Sankalp Shukla, PhD
University of California, Berkeley
Mentor: James Hurley, PhD
Waste-Clearance Mechanisms
Increase of ADAM10 Protein Expression in the Brain as an Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutic
Jaehong Suh, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital
Amyloid-Beta
Study of a Novel Genetic Risk Factor for Alzheimer's Disease
Giuseppina Tesco, MD, PhD
Tufts University
Genetics
Recipient, Alzheimer's Disease Research Distinguished Investigator Award
Oxysterols in Innate and Adaptive Immunity in a Tauopathy Mouse Model
Danira Toral-Rios, PhD
Washington University in St. Louis
Mentors: Anil Cashikar, PhD; David Holtzman, MD; Steven M. Paul, PhD
Immunity & Inflammation
Dysregulated Astrocyte p38, Brain Inflammation, and Alzheimer's Pathology
Linda Van Eldik, PhD
University of Kentucky Research Foundation
Immunity & Inflammation
Mechanisms of Inhibitory Neuron Vulnerability to Alzheimer’s Disease
Emiliano Zamponi, PhD
Columbia University
Mentor: Franck Polleux, PhD
Cells & Circuits
Now accepting letters of intent for FY25 research grant awards! Learn more and sign up for email updates.
In addition to the 23 grants above that were recommended by the Alzheimer's Disease Research Scientific Review Committee, Alzheimer's Disease Research awarded two grants to support other ongoing scientific efforts: a five-year research initiative with the Canadian Institute of Health to study the aging brain and identify how to reduce the risks of dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment, and an inter-country grant with the U.K. and Israel.
Macular Degeneration Research
Through the generosity of our donors, Macular Degeneration Research, a BrightFocus Foundation program, has awarded nearly $53 million to fund research projects on the causes and potential prevention, treatment, and cure of this disease. As of July 2024, Macular Degeneration Research is supporting 49 active research projects worldwide.
Grants Awarded in 2024:
Investigating AMD-Like Disease in Animal Models
Brittany Carr, PhD
University of Alberta (Canada)
Understanding Early-Stage Macular Degeneration
Exosomes & Autophagy: Suspicious Partners in Drusen Biogenesis and AMD
Miguel Flores-Bellver, PhD
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Mentor: Joseph Brzezinski, PhD
Drusen Formation and Immune Response
Storing Fat in the Eye: A Pathway for Tackling AMD
John Han, PhD
University of Michigan Medical Center
Mentor: Jason Miller, MD, PhD
Cell Metabolism
The Generation of Cone Photoreceptor Outer Segments
Heike Kroeger, PhD
University of Georgia
Regenerating Cells Damaged by Macular Degeneration
The Novel Role of an Intracellular Nuclear Receptor in AMD Pathogenesis
Neetu Kushwah, PhD
Boston Children’s Hospital
Mentor: Jing Chen, PhD
Drusen Formation and Immune Response
Innovative Night Vision Tests for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Maximilian Pfau, MD
Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (Switzerland)
Mentor: Hendrik Scholl, MD, MA
Innovative Approaches to Treatments
The Development of a Transplant-Independent Therapy for RPE Dysfunction
Shintaro Shirahama, MD, PhD
Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear
Mentor: Bruce Ksander, PhD
Innovative Approaches to Treatments
Exploring How NRF2 Protein Reduces RPE Cell Damage by Cigarette Smoke
Krishna Singh, PhD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Mentor: James Handa, MD
Understanding Early-Stage Macular Degeneration
Understanding Early Molecular Events in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Sandeep Moothedath Subrahmanian, PhD
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Mentor: Michael Dennis, PhD
Understanding Early-Stage Macular Degeneration
Regeneration of Cone Photoreceptors in the Human Retina
Juliette Wohlschlegel, PhD
University of Washington
Mentor: Thomas Reh, PhD
Regenerating Cells Damaged by Macular Degeneration
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National Glaucoma Research
BrightFocus’ National Glaucoma Research program is one of the world’s leading nonprofit funders of glaucoma research, having supported nearly $51 million in scientific grants exploring the root causes and prevention strategies and treatments to end glaucoma. As of July 2024, National Glaucoma Research is supporting 38 active glaucoma research projects across the globe.
Grants Awarded in 2024:
Saving Sight: A Journey to Healing without Scars
Jennifer Fan Gaskin, FRANZCO
Centre for Eye Research Australia (Australia)
Co-Principal Investigators: Elsa Chan, PhD & Roy Kong, PhD
Predicting Outcomes and Other Treatment Innovations
How the Microenvironment Affects Schlemm’s Canal Cell Behavior
Samuel Herberg, PhD
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Controlling Eye Pressure in New Ways
The Role of Microtubules in Glaucomatous Schlemm’s Canal Mechanobiology
Haiyan Li, PhD
Georgia Institute of Technology
Controlling Eye Pressure in New Ways
The Impact of Glaucoma on Light-Mediated Mood and Sleep Disorders
Xiaorong Liu, PhD
University of Virginia
Co-Principal Investigator: Ignacio Provencio, PhD
Imaging & Exploring the Eye-Brain Connection
IOP-Related Gene Responses in the Optic Nerve Head and Trabecular Meshwork
Diana C. Lozano, PhD
Oregon Health & Science University
Co-Principal Investigator: Kate Keller, PhD
Controlling Eye Pressure in New Ways
Retinal Ganglion Cell Axon Degeneration in a 3D Microfluidic Hydrogel Model
Shruti Patil, PhD
Indiana University
Mentor: Jason Meyer, PhD
Predicting Outcomes and Other Treatment Innovations
Pressure-Induced Axon Damage and Its Link to Glaucoma-Related Vision Loss
Bingrui Wang, PhD
University of Pittsburgh
Protecting and Regenerating the Optic Nerve
Understanding How Variants in LOXL1 Affect Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma Risk
Hannah Youngblood, PhD
Georgia Institute of Technology
Mentor: Raquel Lieberman, PhD
Understanding What Causes Glaucoma
Why Certain Retina Ganglion Cells Stay Strong in Glaucoma
Mengya Zhao, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Mentor: Xin Duan, PhD
Protecting and Regenerating the Optic Nerve
Now accepting applications for FY25 research grant awards! Learn more and sign up for email updates.
All grants will be awarded pending the conclusion of contract negotiations.
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