For nearly 20 years, the Friends of BrainHealth donor circle has helped turn promising ideas into innovative brain health research. Since its inception, the group has raised $6 million and awarded 69 seedling grants, providing critical early support for scientists pursuing new approaches to understanding, protecting and strengthening brain health.This year, that investment takes on new significance.
The 2026 Friends of BrainHealth research awards will help position Center for BrainHealth researchers to compete for multimillion-dollar state grants from the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) , creating a pathway to accelerate broad-scale, translational research over the coming decade.The 2026 awards support projects spanning the earliest detection of brain changes, dementia risk and resilience, caregiver well-being, cognitive resilience, metabolic health and Alzheimer’s disease.
Six winning projects were recognized at the Ramona Jones Friends of BrainHealth Scientist Selection Luncheon on September 28 at Dallas Country Club, and three finalists competed for a seventh award through a live audience vote. The live, “Shark Tank” style competition builds on a Friends of BrainHealth tradition of combining philanthropy with direct engagement in innovative science.
From Seed Funding to Greater Impact
Friends of BrainHealth was founded on the idea that early philanthropic investment can give scientists the opportunity to test bold ideas and build the evidence needed to take promising research further. Nearly two decades and nearly 70 seedling grants later, the donor circle has provided $6 million to advance BrainHealth research .The emergence of DPRIT creates an important new opportunity to build on that legacy. By providing seed funding for innovative research now, the 2026 Friends of BrainHealth awards will help researchers strengthen the scientific foundation needed to pursue substantially larger state grants and expand promising work into broad-scale translational research.In addition to the Emerging Scientists category, this year the funding expanded to include a Visionary Scientist category with three awards granted to seasoned principal investigators.
2026 Visionary Scientists
2026 Emerging Scientists
A Tradition of Engaged Philanthropy
“Friends of BrainHealth was founded on the belief that philanthropy can help turn promising ideas into meaningful discoveries,” said Andy Walsh , 2026 Friends of BrainHealth campaign co-chair. “This year, our community of supporters invested more than $466,000 in innovative research focused on brain health and dementia prevention. What makes Friends of BrainHealth so special is that our donors are active partners in advancing the science, helping researchers build the foundation for discoveries that can improve lives across Texas and beyond.”