While high blood pressure, diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle are linked to dementia, the exact molecular connection between these risk factors and the disease remain something of a mystery.<\/p>\n
These factors can damage proteins in the body, which plays a role in brain decline, says Brock University PhD student Shakiru Alaka. However, it\u2019s hard to measure the real-time changes inside the cells of a living patient as a result of that damage, particularly in the brain.<\/p>\n
Alaka is seeking to solve that puzzle after receiving one of 14<\/a> Heart & Stroke and Brain Canada 2025-26 Personnel Awards for Black Scholars.<\/p>\n \u201cThis national recognition supports my research in dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and equitable health outcomes and represents an important milestone both personally and for the Brock community,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The grant will support his current research project, \u201cInvestigating Degenerative Protein Modifications as Molecular Mediators Linking Vascular Risk Factors to Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n Alaka is examining a wide range of data gathered under the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging<\/a>, a national research initiative following more than 50,000 people ages 45 to 85 over a 20-year period.<\/p>\n The database includes extensive biological samples, molecular profiling data, physiological measurements like blood pressure, comprehensive cognitive assessments, and detailed demographic and lifestyle information, including smoking status and physical exercise levels.<\/p>\n Using artificial intelligence, Alaka aims to uncover patterns and hidden connections between lifestyle factors and degenerative protein damage, which can weaken cells, impair blood vessels and cause chronic inflammation.<\/p>\n Impaired blood vessels result in less oxygen and nutrients travelling to the brain, leading to memory loss, a higher chance of stroke and the onset of Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dementia, he says.<\/p>\n He will compare the Canadian results to information gleaned from similar large-scale studies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore to ensure the results are relevant across human populations.<\/p>\n Alaka traces his interest in damaged proteins and brain functioning back to his master\u2019s research, which focused on the mechanisms of strokes, saying that people who suffer strokes sometimes end up developing dementia.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, there is no cure for dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s disease at the moment,\u201d he says. \u201cIf we can find specific biomarkers, we could develop tools to identify people at risk earlier, take preventive steps to slow down the disease and eventually develop better and more effective treatments.\u201d<\/p>\n Alaka\u2019s supervisor is Professor of Health Sciences Newman Sze, who is also the Canada Research Chair in Mechanisms of Health and Disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n