As we age, our cognitive abilities decline, and many of us may experience memory loss, dementia, or neurodegeneration. However, research shows that some individuals are resilient to the ravages of time and remain cognitively intact even after reaching 100 years of age.
What if we could evade the aging process, resist genetic risk factors of cognitive decline, or even reverse aspects of brain aging altogether?
The Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience is seeking creative and bold proposals from Stanford research and clinical faculty with PI eligibility that have the potential to generate paradigm-shifting insights into healthy brain aging and resilience against cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders.
Application and eligibility information
"About 1 in 10,000 individuals reaches age 100 cognitively unscathed — seemingly resilient to the effects of time. The Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience seeks to emulate this sidestepping of the aging process and raise the hope of reversing brain aging altogether. "
— Tony Wyss-Coray, Director, Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience
Catalyst Grants Application
Application deadline: April 22, 2024
Please review the application and eligibility information before applying. In brief:
- Stanford research and clinical faculty with PI eligibility (UTL, MCL, or NTL-research appointments) may apply
- Previous Innovation or Catalyst award PIs are only eligible to submit as a Co-PI on this round
- Applicants may request up to $500,000 in direct costs over a 2-year duration
Funded Catalyst grant projects
Mitochondrial DNA and Brain Resilience
This team proposes the first comprehensive study of how mitochondrial DNA is related to cognitive function and susceptibility to dementia in a diverse population of over 11,000 adults. The outcomes of this study will provide insight into possible racial disparities in brain health.
Characterizing the Genetic Architecture of Neuropathology with Machine Learning
This team will study the brains of individuals who lived past ninety with their cognitive function intact, using advanced tissue imaging and computer science to understand mechanisms of resilience that could slow neurodegeneration and preserve brain health.
Preserving motor engrams in Parkinson's disease: Neural circuit and transcriptomic studies and strategies for resilient motor control
This team aims to better understand how Parkinson's disease attacks the brain's basic motor programs and to spawn novel therapies against the disease using gene-editing technology.
Endocannabinoid metabolism as a driver of brain aging
This team aims to discover whether the brain’s endocannabinoid system is dysregulated during aging, triggering inflammation via molecules called prostaglandins. If so, a drug that decouples these systems might restore a youthful brain state and rescue cognitive function.