A team of researchers at The Keck School of Medicine of USC have received a $3.4 million federal grant to advance research on an innovative approach to slowing age-related cognitive decline.

The award is from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency withing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that funds transformational research to tackle tough health problems. The grant is part of ARPA-H’s Sprint for Women’s Health initiative to address critical unmet challenges in women’s health, champion transformative innovations, and tackle health conditions that uniquely or disproportionately affect women. USC will receive $3.4 million in funding over two years through the Sprint for Women’s Health spark track for early-stage research efforts.

Young-Kwon Hong, PhD, Chief of the Division of Basic Science Research in the Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and his team are working on slowing age-related cognitive decline in women by helping the brain’s lymphatic system clear more waste.

“With their longer lifespans, aging women have a higher susceptibility to dementia and neurodegenerative disorders,” explained Dr. Hong. “Two out of every three patients diagnosed with cognitive decline are women.”

Dr. Hong and his team have already discovered a drug that may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease by improving the performance of the brain’s lymphatic system. They believe that by clearing waste buildup in the brain, they can slow the progress of cognitive decline. Their Sprint for Women’s Health project will test the combination of that drug with focused ultrasound treatment to accelerate the removal of waste.

“Anyone with a loved one in cognitive decline knows how devastating—and terrifying—it can be for the patient and for everyone around them. I believe that combining targeted ultrasound therapy with our drug therapy may offer hope to thousands of people. We may even be able to refine the treatment to a simple at-home process. This has an enormous potential to help people keep their dignity and their connection to loved ones.”

ARPA-H sought solutions within six topics of interest in women’s health, and received an unprecedented response of submissions—more than 1700 from 34 countries, with only 24 applicants receiving funding. ARPA-H launched the Sprint for Women’s Health in February, with First Lady Jill Biden announcing the funding as the first major deliverable from the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research.

The ARPA-H Sprint for Women’s Health is conducted in collaboration with the Investor Catalyst Hub of ARPANET-H, the agency’s nationwide health innovation network that connects people, innovators, and institutions to accelerate better health outcomes for everyone.  USC will work with an ARPA-H Program Manager and the Investor Catalyst Hub over two years to develop their proposed solution, receiving milestone-based payments aligned to research activities and performance objectives.

About The Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Under the leadership of Department Chairman Vaughn A. Starnes, MD, The Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has developed a strong focus on scientific research. The program actively works to promote both clinical research and bench science, offering both financial support and a structure to make sure researchers set up rigorous scientific protocols. In addition, promising surgical residents may do up to two years of pure research and have the opportunity to present their findings at national conferences.

“I am immensely proud of the work Dr. Hong is doing,” said Dr. Starnes. “This started from a personal interest and an educated hunch that he had. When we give our researchers the support they need to pursue those, it benefits our whole community.”