Highlights
- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded Barrow Neurological Institute $657,088 for a study running through August 2031.
- Principal investigator Susan Criswell will examine whether persistent organic pollutants accelerate clinical progression in prodromal Lewy Body Dementia.
- The grant, project number 1R01NS144223-01A1, is a new R01 award — a single-investigator mechanism that typically funds $1 million to $2 million over its full term.
- Barrow, located on the Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital campus in Phoenix, is the sole recipient organization listed in the NIH Reporter record.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has awarded Barrow Neurological Institute $657,088 to investigate whether persistent organic pollutants drive disease progression in patients showing early signs of Lewy Body Dementia, according to a grant record posted to NIH Reporter.
The award, project number 1R01NS144223-01A1, covers a project period from Sept. 22, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2031. Principal investigator Susan Criswell is listed as the lead researcher. The full project title describes the work as an exposomic investigation of neurotoxic exposures and clinical disease progression in prodromal Lewy Body Dementia, meaning the study targets patients in the disease's earliest detectable phase, before full clinical onset.
The R01 mechanism is the NIH's standard independent-investigator grant. At $657,088 for the first funded year, the award sits at the lower end of a typical R01 range, suggesting this is an initial project period rather than a renewal.
Barrow is located on the Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center campus in Phoenix. The institute's neurology department carries one principal investigator on one fiscal year 2026 NIH award totaling $657,100, according to ScienceDex, consistent with this grant record.
What are persistent organic pollutants and why do they matter for dementia research?
Persistent organic pollutants are synthetic chemicals, including certain pesticides and industrial compounds, that accumulate in body tissue over time and resist environmental breakdown. Researchers have flagged them as candidates for neurotoxic exposure studies because of their lipophilic properties and long biological half-lives. The Criswell project applies an exposomic framework, meaning it will map the full range of environmental chemical exposures in the study population rather than testing a single compound.
The NIH's NINDS has identified Lewy Body Dementia as a research priority. A separate, related funding opportunity, PAR-24-249, which has since expired, specifically solicited R01 applications examining interactions between environmental factors and Lewy Body Dementia, signaling sustained agency interest in this line of inquiry.
The grant record is available at NIH Reporter project 11449757. The project period closes Aug. 31, 2031.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- reporter.nih.gov retrieved 27/09/2026 17:40
- conductscience.com retrieved 27/09/2026 17:40
- grants.nih.gov retrieved 27/09/2026 17:40
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 27/09/2026 17:40. Every claim traces to a source.
