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Friends of BrainHealth awarded six grants for 2026 research projects at the Center for BrainHealth, and an audience selected a seventh award from three finalists. The projects cover early brain changes, dementia risk and resilience, caregiver well-being, metabolic health and Alzheimer’s disease; the seed funding is intended to help researchers develop work for larger grant applications.
Friends of BrainHealth awarded funding for seven research projects in 2026, supporting work on early brain changes, dementia risk and resilience, caregiver well-being and metabolic health. Six projects were recognized at a September 28 luncheon, while attendees chose a seventh award through a live vote, according to the award announcement.
The grants support researchers at the Center for BrainHealth and span studies of Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive resilience and possible approaches to identifying dementia risk. The awards include a new Visionary Scientist category for established principal investigators, alongside the Emerging Scientists category. The source does not state the amount awarded to each project.
Among the three Visionary Scientist projects, Zhengsi Chang and Ziwei Zhang will investigate biomarker patterns associated with cognitive resilience across different courses of Alzheimer’s disease. Francesca Filbey’s project will use longitudinal neuroimaging to study brain resilience and metabolic health in the setting of GLP-1-based therapy. Dan Krawczyk will study a light-guided training intervention intended to improve brain health and reduce dementia risk.
The Emerging Scientists awards fund projects on whether the BrainHealth Index can reliably detect early changes, how eight determinants can be used to profile dementia risk and resilience, and whether a mindfulness-based approach can support dementia caregivers. Audience-choice winner Christine Dugas will study links between retinal vascular health, neuronal health and dementia risk factors, using a non-invasive retinal scan and the BrainHealth Index.
Seed Grants Target Dementia Research
The awards are designed to provide early-stage funding so researchers can test ideas and build evidence before seeking larger support. The announcement links this year’s funding to a new opportunity: the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), whose state grants may support multimillion-dollar research efforts. The grants do not themselves represent DPRIT funding or guarantee that researchers will receive it.
For readers, the projects address several points along the dementia research pathway: measuring early brain changes, studying factors associated with risk or resilience, and supporting people who care for those with dementia. These are research aims, not established screening tools or proven prevention treatments. The studies’ results will be needed before their practical value can be assessed.
Friends of BrainHealth said this year’s supporters invested more than $466,000 in brain health and dementia-prevention research. The donor circle reports that, over nearly 20 years, it has raised $6 million and awarded 69 seedling grants. Those figures describe the organization’s reported history, not the amount available to any one project.
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A Donor Circle Builds Research Capacity
Friends of BrainHealth was established to help researchers pursue early-stage ideas that may be difficult to support through larger grants before preliminary evidence is available. The organization describes its seedling grants as a way to test approaches and develop a scientific basis for further study.
The September 28 awards luncheon, held at Dallas Country Club, continued a format that includes donor participation in selecting research. Three finalists competed for the audience-choice award in a live, “Shark Tank”-style presentation. The event recognized six projects in total across the award categories, with the audience vote adding a seventh award.
This year’s addition of the Visionary Scientist category widened the program beyond emerging researchers. The projects range from biomarker and neuroimaging research to caregiver well-being, but the announcement does not provide study timelines, participant numbers or detailed methods for every project.
“This year, our community of supporters invested more than $466,000 in innovative research focused on brain health and dementia prevention.”
— Andy Walsh, 2026 Friends of BrainHealth campaign co-chair
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Study Results Are Still Ahead
The announcement describes the funded projects and their research aims, but does not report findings. It remains unclear when each study will begin or finish, how many participants will be involved, and what measures researchers will use beyond those named in the project descriptions. The grant amounts for individual teams are also not provided.
It is also not yet clear whether any of the projects will lead to applications for DPRIT grants, or whether those applications would be successful. The awards are presented as a way to build evidence for future funding, not as confirmation of state support, clinical use or reduced dementia incidence.
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Research Teams Develop Their Studies
The funded researchers are expected to carry out the projects described in their awards and build evidence that could support further research. The Center for BrainHealth’s announcement did not give project-specific schedules, planned publication dates or a timetable for future DPRIT applications, so the next public milestones have not been specified.
Readers can expect meaningful updates when teams report study progress or results, or when the researchers or institute announce new funding. Until then, the awards mark an investment in research questions—not conclusions about dementia prevention or treatment.
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Key Questions
How many Friends of BrainHealth projects received 2026 awards?
Seven projects received awards: six were recognized at the September 28 luncheon, and an audience vote selected a seventh project from three finalists.
What areas will the funded research study?
The projects cover early brain changes, Alzheimer’s-related cognitive resilience, dementia risk profiles, metabolic health, caregiver well-being, light-guided training and possible links between eye health and dementia risk.
Does the funding mean the studies have found a way to prevent dementia?
No. The awards fund research projects and do not establish that an intervention prevents dementia. The announcement provides research aims, not study results.
Are the awards connected to Texas state grants?
The announcement says the seed funding is intended to help researchers build evidence for possible applications to the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. It does not say that any team has received a DPRIT grant.
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