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Brain Health in Menopausal Women

Project description

Brain Health in Menopausal Women

Menopause is a critical stage in women’s lives, with significant implications for health. This transition affects brain health and increases the risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s. Yet menopause-related changes remain poorly understood and lack effective interventions. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MenoBrain project will train 15 doctoral candidates to address challenges related to menopause and brain health. Participants will work within a multidisciplinary international network of 18 organisations. Using advanced methods like MRI, DTI, PET, EEG, and host-microbiome modelling, the project will explore how hormonal changes during menopause and therapies impact cognitive health, gut-brain communication, and ageing. It will identify biomarkers for early cognitive dysfunction detection, improve therapies, and promote personalised healthcare for menopausal women.

Objective

With the global population of menopausal women projected to reach 1.2 billion by 2030, menopause represents a critical yet understudied period in women's health. Hormonal changes during this transition pose significant risks to brain health, cognitive function, and emotional well-being, while increasing vulnerability to age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Despite its profound societal relevance, menopause-related brain changes remain poorly understood, with limited biomarkers and evidence-based interventions available.
MenoBrain aims to fill this gap by training a new generation of 15 doctoral candidates to address the pressing challenges of menopause-related brain health. The DCs will work within a multidisciplinary and international network of 18 participants (11 beneficiaries and 7 partners) spanning neuroimaging, neuropsychology, endocrinology, microbiome research and bioinformatics. MenoBrain will employ cutting-edge methods including advanced neuroimaging (MRI, DTI, PET, EEG), host-microbiome modelling, and computational BrainAGE models. This integrated approach will explore how hormonal changes associated with menopause and interventions such as menopausal hormone therapy impact cognitive health, gut-brain communication, and aging trajectories.
The programme combines scientific excellence with a robust training structure to equip MenoBrain doctoral candidates with expertise in interdisciplinary and intersectoral research, advanced technologies, and transferable skills. By leveraging state-of-the-art infrastructure, MenoBrain will discover biomarkers for early detection of cognitive dysfunction, improve therapeutic strategies, and advance personalized healthcare for menopausal women.
MenoBrain not only addresses a critical gap in women's health research, but also aligns with the EU's agenda to promote healthy aging, gender-specific healthcare, and fostering innovative training for the next generation of leaders in science and industry.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM JENA
Net EU contribution
€ 870 816,96
Address
KASTANIENSTR.1
07747 Jena
Germany
Region
Thüringen Thüringen Jena, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (10)

Partners (9)