Menu
Close
Funded Projects

Investigating Associations between Neighborhood-Level Disadvantage and Microstructural Neurodegeneration Across the Alzheimer’s Disease Continuum

Awarded in 2024
Postdoctoral Grant
Updated Sep 22, 2025

At a Glance

Aging brains follow different paths, with some individuals maintaining cognitive health, while others progress to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias. This project will combine advanced diffusion-weighted MRI with fluid biomarkers to examine how living in disadvantaged neighborhoods relates to microstructural brain changes across the AD continuum. Preliminary findings show lower neurite density in people from highly disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly in regions vulnerable to AD.

More Funded Projects

research icon: microscope and stethoscope
Postdoctoral Grant

Preconception Weight Loss Strategy Impact on Gestational Glycemia, Milk Lipids and Offspring Islet Health

Awarded in 2024
Obesity before pregnancy increases the risk of complications such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and adverse outcomes for both parent and child. In Wisconsin, nearly 30% of people giving birth have obesity, underscoring the urgent need for effective preconception interventions. This project will compare four weight loss strategies to assess their effects on gestational glycemia, milk lipid composition and offspring pancreatic health. Findings will provide critical evidence to guide safe, effective weight loss recommendations before pregnancy, helping reduce intergenerational risk of diabetes and improve maternal-child health outcomes.
research icon: microscope and stethoscope
Postdoctoral Grant

Signal Transducers Regulating Dietary and Pharmacological BCAA Restriction in Obesity and Type II Diabetes: The Role of Mitochondrial BCAA Carrier Slc25a44

Awarded in 2024
Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are major public health challenges, with impaired branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism playing a key role. Restricting dietary BCAAs or using the FDA-approved drug 4-PBA improves body composition, glucose control and lifespan in animal models. Exercise is also critical for weigh loss and maintaining muscle mass, but its interaction with BCAA-targeted interventions is unknown. This project will test whether dietary BCAA restriction, 4-PBA, and exercise—alone or in combination—reverse obesity and improve metabolic health in mice. Using genetic knockout models, it will also determine whether these benefits depend on the mitochondrial BCAA carrier Slc25a44. Findings will provide insights into diet- and drug-based strategies that can be paired with exercise to combat obesity and T2D. By focusing on accessible interventions, the study has the potential to promote health equity in communities disproportionately affected by metabolic disease.