# Risk factors and prevention targets for abnormal cognitive aging

> **NIH NIH K24** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $178,602

## Abstract

This proposal is requesting a one-time renewal of a Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented
Research (K24). The candidate, Dr. Angela Jefferson, is a neuropsychologist whose interdisciplinary research
program focuses on understanding the impact of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular integrity on the
pathogenesis and clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease and small vessel disease. Dr. Jefferson is a
Professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and founding Director of the Vanderbilt Memory
& Alzheimer's Center. Since completing her training 13 years ago, Dr. Jefferson has established herself as a
productive clinical researcher with strong NIH funding and a high-impact, prolific publication record. Over the
last decade, including the original K24 funding period (2013-2018), she has demonstrated a strong
commitment to professional education and mentorship. This K24 renewal will be instrumental in continuing to
provide protected time for Dr. Jefferson to expand her clinical research capabilities. In particular, she will
expand her expertise in cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease to include innovative molecular
biomarkers reflecting concomitant pathways, such as extracellular matrix remodeling, microglial activation, and
synaptic dysfunction. She will also expand the breadth of proteomic biomarkers at her disposal by leveraging
state of the art discovery-based mass spectrometry methods. These tools will substantially enrich our
understanding of the mechanisms by which compromised vascular health relates to abnormal brain aging and
inform strategies to prevent or delay the pathological cascade associated with cognitive impairment and
dementia. Furthermore, the proposed award will allow Dr. Jefferson to continue to use her research program
as a platform to mentor early career investigators, including undergraduate, graduate, and medical students;
postdoctoral fellows; and early career faculty in patient-oriented research in cognitive aging, Alzheimer's
disease, and small vessel disease. This proposal integrates Dr. Jefferson's interdisciplinary research team and
resources available through the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center and Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical
and Translational Research to offer a rich training environment for mentees. The training and research
facilitated by this K24 mechanism renewal will not only advance knowledge regarding cardiovascular and
cerebrovascular pathways contributing to the pathogenesis and clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease
and small vessel disease, but it will also develop a cadre of next-generation cognitive aging researchers well-
positioned to make meaningful contributions to the field.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9841337
- **Project number:** 5K24AG046373-08
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** ANGELA L. JEFFERSON
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $178,602
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9841337

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9841337, Risk factors and prevention targets for abnormal cognitive aging (5K24AG046373-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9841337. Licensed CC0.

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