Rice University researchers are working with physician scientists at Houston Methodist to develop a soft, wearable “sleep cap” designed to measure and improve deep sleep, a process critical for protecting the brain against dementia and related diseases. The project, a collaboration between mechanical engineers Daniel J. Preston and Vanessa Sanchez, electrical and computer engineer Behnaam Aazhang, Houston Methodist neurologist Dr. Timea Hodics and Dr. Gavin Britz, director of the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, is part of Rice’s broader commitment to brain health research and its support for the Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT).

Recognizing the urgent need for improved stroke therapies, UofL Health – UofL Hospital and the University of Louisville are actively participating in a pivotal clinical trial known as the Strategy for Improving Stroke Treatment Response (SISTER). This study focuses on patients who come to the emergency department 4.5 to 24 hours after the onset of an ischemic stroke and who are not candidates for standard treatment methods, such as previously approved clot-dissolving medications or mechanical interventions.

LLMs and the Brain, a symposium featuring researchers from Rice, Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Montreal and other institutions explored the intersection between neuroscience and AI. The conversation around brain research extends beyond the university and is unfolding at the state level. On Nov. 4, Texas voters will decide on Proposition 14, which would fund the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) with $3 billion over 10 years, creating the largest state-funded dementia research program in the country.