The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) and the McKnight Brain Research Foundation (MBRF) are pleased to announce that School of Public Health Assistant Professor Sanaz Sedaghat is one of two recipients of the 2024 McKnight Brain Research Foundation Innovator Awards in Cognitive Aging and Memory Loss. Now in its fourth year, the Innovator Awards provide funding to research scientists pursuing groundbreaking studies in the field of cognitive aging.

Sedaghat is a clinical epidemiologist with a research focus on understanding the role of vascular health in preservation of brain function with the goal of reducing the burden of cardiovascular and cognitive disorders in our aging society.

With this award, Dr. Sedaghat’s project, “Biological Aging Clock: A Tool to Differentiate Cognitive Aging Trajectories”, aims to study whether biological aging can predict different paths of cognitive decline. Dr. Sedaghat’s lab is developing “protein-based aging clocks” that use protein data to measure a person’s biological age, which can differ from their actual age. By studying these clocks, her research hopes to identify who might be at risk for faster cognitive decline, which could help in developing ways to slow down the process and improve quality of life.

The other recipient of the 2024 McKnight Brain Research Foundation Innovator Awards in Cognitive Aging and Memory Loss is Janine Kwapis, Assistant Professor and Paul Berg Early Career Professor in Biology at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Kwapis’ project, “Improving cognitive flexibility in old age by fixing the transcriptome within memory cells”, aims to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that support the memory updating process.

Dr. Kwapis and Dr. Sedaghat will each receive three-year awards of $750,000.  The successful program has already supported six investigators in previous years. This year, MBRF renewed its commitment with a $4,626,500 award to AFAR to expand the network of investigators who focus their research on cognitive aging and memory loss.

“The Innovator Awards underscore the McKnight Brain Research Foundation’s commitment to identifying and rewarding the outstanding scientists leading groundbreaking cognitive aging research,” said Michael L. Dockery, MD, Chair of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation. “With Dr. Kwapis and Dr. Sedaghat already demonstrating a strong commitment to the field, we are excited to support their work to better understand and prevent the effects of age-related cognitive decline and memory loss and hope their findings move us closer to our ultimate goal of helping people maintain their brain and cognitive health later in life.”

“In their first four years, the McKnight Brain Research Foundation Innovator Awards have supported an impressive roster of talent who are making great advances in the field of cognitive aging,” notes Stephanie Lederman, EdM, Executive Director, AFAR. “AFAR is pleased to continue our partnership with the McKnight Brain Research Foundation and is proud to support these inspiring investigators, continuing our long support of promising research on cognitive health and healthy aging.”

Learn more about The McKnight Brain Research Foundation Innovator Awards in Cognitive Aging and Memory Loss here.

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About AFAR
The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is a national non-profit organization that supports and advances pioneering biomedical research that is revolutionizing how we live healthier and longer. For more than four decades, AFAR has served as the field’s talent incubator, providing $212,500,000 to 4,460 investigators at premier research institutions to date—and growing. In 2024, AFAR expects to provide approximately $12,270,00 to 60 investigators. A trusted leader and strategist, AFAR also works with public and private funders to steer high quality grant programs and inter-disciplinary research networks. AFAR-funded researchers are finding that modifying basic cellular processes can delay—or even prevent—many chronic diseases, often at the same time. They are discovering that it is never too late—or too early—to improve health. This groundbreaking science is paving the way for innovative new therapies that promise to improve and extend our quality of life—at any age. Learn more at www.afar.org

About the McKnight Brain Research Foundation

Founded in 1999, the McKnight Brain Research Foundation is the nation’s only private foundation devoted exclusively to discovering the mysteries of the aging brain. Over the past two decades, the Foundation has funded more than $200 million in research specifically targeting cognitive aging and age-related cognitive decline and memory loss through direct contributions and strategic initiatives in partnership with the four McKnight Brain Institutes and the National Institute on Aging through the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. Learn more about the Foundation at: www.mcknightbrain.org.