# Genetic dissection of dementia

> **NIH NIH R16** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS EL PASO · 2024 · $99,999

## Abstract

Project Abstract
The major goal of this research is to identify the genetic risk factors with functional significance
to dementia in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. The key aspect of dementia is
age-dependent neurodegeneration that cripples executive functions (e.g. inhibitory control) and
memory. Most dementia studies have focused on memory loss, which is a prominent symptom
of AD - the most common dementia type. While animal models have provided important insights
into the mechanism for memory loss, their utility for dementia gene discovery is limited since the
study of memory loss is time-consuming and laborious. Executive deficits are major symptoms
in early stage AD and related dementias yet largely understudied. We overcome these
limitations by studying inhibitory control deficit as a dementia endophenotype for the discovery
of dementia genes, which is innovative. Our approach is to conduct an unbiased screen for the
genetic loci causing dysfunctional inhibitory control in an age-dependent manner, with or without
the non-genetic risk factors. In this proposal we will also test the hypothesis that the genetic and
non-genetic risk factor interaction has a greater effect on dementia than a genetic factor alone.
Drosophila is tractable for student research training and education as it is easy to handle, allows
to readily apply state-of-the-art tools and approaches, and is cost-and time-effective. There is
currently no other biological research on dementia at UTEP. Dementia prevalence is
disproportionately higher in Hispanics than white Americans thus this study will not only promote
research relevant to our students and community but also increase the representation of
Hispanics in neuroscience research that is disproportionately low at present.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11036737
- **Project number:** 3R16GM145548-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS EL PASO
- **Principal Investigator:** Kyung-An Han
- **Activity code:** R16 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $99,999
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-05-13 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11036737

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11036737, Genetic dissection of dementia (3R16GM145548-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11036737. Licensed CC0.

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