STTR in practice · NIH · Phase I
An early-warning blood profile for dementia risk
Public award record. INSTAR Lab was not involved. This is a federal award made to another organisation. INSTAR Lab did not apply for it, take part in it or contribute to it, and nothing here says otherwise.
A clinical laboratory that measures fatty acids in blood worked with a research institute to test whether those measurements can predict memory loss or dementia years ahead. The plan is to combine existing long-running study data and apply statistical and machine-learning methods. Phase I also checks whether labs and consumers would pay for the resulting tests.
The problem
The record says there are few accessible, inexpensive early signals of dementia risk, and that common markers mainly reflect disease that has already started.
Partners and roles
Roles are summarised from the record’s own description. Work shares are not given unless noted.
OmegaQuant Analytics, LLC
Small business
The small business, a clinical laboratory that specialises in fatty acid measurement and plans to turn the findings into reports and tests.
Fatty Acid Research Institute
Research institution
Described in the record as a partner that contributes fatty acid expertise, statistical support and access to data.
What the record does not say
- The share of work each partner carried.
- Any result or outcome of the project.
Phase and timeline
- Starts
- December 1, 2023
- Ends
- November 30, 2025
- Length
- About 24 months
- Agency
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Award number
- 1R41AG085816-01
- Amount
- $506,500. Fiscal year 2024 award amount shown in NIH RePORTER for this project number.
- Dates
- December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2025, as the record lists them
Outcome
The record does not state an outcome, so none is given here.
Source
Official record: NIH RePORTER project record 10820645(official title: Developing a blood fatty acid-based algorithm as an early predictor of cognitive decline and dementia: Applying machine learning to harmonized data from prospective cohort studies). Checked October 23, 2026. Details can change after that date; the official record is the authority.
INSTAR Lab has not yet held an STTR award. This page describes how another organisation’s award is set out in public records. It does not suggest INSTAR Lab took part, or that it would be eligible for or win similar funding.