Catalyst Grants | Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience

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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 seeks 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

Closed

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

Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience
Catalyst Award
2022
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.
Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience
Catalyst Award
2022
Resilience to Synaptic Impairments in Neurodegenerative Disorders
This team will explore the idea that neurotoxic protein aggregates seen in neurodegenerative disorders act at the synaptic connections between cells, and that resilience against these disorders may come from natural synapse-supporting factors that could be transformed into new forms of therapy.
Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience
Catalyst Award
2022
Unlocking brain resilience with HDAC inhibition
This team aims to define a network of genes that contribute to stress resistance in neurons and identify how it could be activated to enhance brain resilience and protect against neurodegenerative disease.