image: Neda Jahanshad, PhD, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Credit: Stevens INI
A new contract for transformational research to determine how menopause and modifiable lifestyle factors influence brain aging in women during midlife has been awarded to Neda Jahanshad, PhD, a researcher at the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI), and associate professor of neurology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Jahanshad joins the global CARE (Cutting Alzheimer’s Risk through Endocrinology) program from Wellcome Leap, a leading US-based non-profit organization focused on accelerating and increasing the number of breakthroughs in global health. Together with Claudia Barth, PhD, professor, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, as co-principal investigator, Jahanshad will be part of a team leading a groundbreaking three-year project that could lead to insights on how to reduce the risk of cognitive decline as women age.
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) disproportionately affect women, yet much remains unknown about how the female brain changes during midlife—a critical window that coincides with the menopausal transition. Up to 80% of women experience debilitating symptoms during this period, including hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood shifts, and cognitive decline. Jahanshad’s project seeks to harness advanced brain imaging and large-scale international data to identify early indicators of neurological aging and suggest tailored interventions for brain health.
“Women’s brain health remains one of the most under-researched areas in neuroscience,” said Jahanshad. “With this contract, we have the opportunity to chart how the brain evolves through midlife in women—and to determine which specific interventions can meaningfully reduce the risk of dementia on an individual level.”
The project, titled Charting the Female Brain During Midlife, will bring together data from thousands of women worldwide via the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium, a global research network co-led by Jahanshad. The study will analyze MRI scans and health data to track changes in brain structure, connectivity, and tissue microstructure during the menopause transition.
“Our combination of big data mining and state-of-the-art methods will allow for a better understanding of the risk and resilience factors that shape women’s brain health in midlife. Such knowledge is essential for providing targeted interventions to improve the health of women during and beyond this transitional period,” said Barth.
Key objectives include:
- Mapping how menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and menopause-related symptoms affect brain circuitry.
- Using AI to develop personalized “digital twin” models that predict how a woman’s brain may age under different health and lifestyle scenarios.
- Applying analyses to determine which modifiable factors—like diet, exercise, or sleep—have the strongest protective effect on brain aging, and when interventions are likely to be most effective.
Jahanshad and Barth’s work builds on the success of previous ENIGMA studies that have pooled global data to identify reliable brain biomarkers for neurological and psychiatric disorders. This new effort will prioritize the inclusion of diverse populations, ensuring findings are broadly representative.
“This research has the potential to transform how we understand and support women’s brain health,” said Arthur W. Toga, PhD, director of the Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute. “Dr. Jahanshad’s visionary leadership and collaborative approach will help close a critical gap in neuroscience.”
The Wellcome Leap CARE initiative supports transformative solutions that improve brain health across the lifespan, particularly in populations that have been historically overlooked. With this contract, the Stevens INI continues its leadership in brain mapping, neuroimaging, and precision health research.
To learn more about the CARE program, visit https://wellcomeleap.org/care/.