Sponsor link https://www.alz.org/research/for_researchers/grants/types-of-grants/sex_...

The Alzheimer's Association recognizes that even though Alzheimer's and dementia research has significantly advanced in recent years, the field still faces challenges in the knowledge and ability to fully understand the sex, gender, and gender identity differences in AD and ADRD. Building off the 2017 SAGA program and the continued investment by the Alzheimer's Association, the SAGA-23 funding program will aim to fund projects to directly advance the understanding and fill in gaps in knowledge of the contribution of sex, gender, and gender identity contributions to AD/ADRD. 

Potential themes:

• Investigate biological sex differences in aging and AD/ ADRD, including link of hormones, telomeres and other aging-related factors; as well as studies aimed at other biological factors of disease related to sex, gender, and gender identity contributions 
Genetic links with APOEe4, X chromosome and other genes, including biological mechanism(s) of action, implications for disease pathogenesis 
• Understanding sexual dimorphism in brain function, as it relates to vulnerability to AD/ADRD 
• Investigating links between hormone levels (i.e. perimenopause, use of gender affirming hormone) and energy metabolisms (i.e. shift from glucose to ketone energy usage) for disease pathogenesis 
• Advancing research on the immune system contributions to sex differences, including understanding the roles of pregnancy, sex hormones, and reproductive aging in the context of the immunological function and response to aging and cognitive decline 
• Investigating sex, gender, and gender identity contributions to brain networks, pathology and link to clinical phenotypes of AD/ADRD 
• Understanding how various life course contributors (i.e. stress, vascular and metabolic contributions, sleep, depression) impact neurobiological context on vulnerability for AD/ADRD 
• Investigating stress response differences between male/ 
female/men/intersex/women/trans men/trans women/non-binary adults and 
impact on disease vulnerability as well as ways to ameliorate stress-related impact 
• Advancing research on measurement of disease including biological measures or cognitive/ function measures that may differ or contribute to disease progressions or diagnosis that may be sensitive to sex differences 
• Clinical observational studies, preclinical studies or the use of human tissue samples are appropriate.