SUN CITY, Ariz. (Aug. 26, 2026) – Researchers at Banner Sun Health Research Institute’s Brain and Body Donation Program are contributing invaluable data as part of a nationwide research study exploring the relationship between environmental factors and Alzheimer’s disease. This research will help determine whether the places where a person lives and works could be another determinant for their risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Led by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, the Neighborhoods Study is a collaboration between 24 Alzheimer’s disease research centers around the country that are working to establish whether social and environmental factors like poverty, education, housing, employment and toxins have an impact on the risk for Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Thanks to a $30.9 million award from the National Institutes of Health, the recently renewed study will allow researchers to dive deeper to try to understand what makes certain population more susceptible to Alzheimer’s — looking into aspects like lead-contaminated infrastructure, workplace-related toxins, and heavy metals found in brain tissue.
Banner’s internationally recognized Brain and Body Donation Program is playing a pivotal role in the work through its data acquired from participants whose autopsies confirmed Alzheimer’s and related dementia diagnoses. The program is a world-leading resource for studying neurodegenerative diseases and normal aging.
“This research collaboration is yet another exciting milestone in our ongoing fight against Alzheimer’s disease,” said Geidy Serrano, PhD, director of the Brain and Body Donation Program. “By looking into participants’ residential histories and potential environmental exposures they experienced during life, we’re beginning to make new strides in identifying which communities may face greater risk for disease and why.”
The study, which first began in 2021, has used a tool called the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Health Disparities Research to assess and address health disparities and improve factors that impact health across populations. Paired with the ADI’s vast data measures, research has shown an association between living in a disadvantaged neighborhood and increased odds of neurological decline and brain disease.
The Neighborhoods Study is the largest research study of its kind linking brain tissue and how social determinants affect Alzheimer’s risk. The Brain and Body Donation Program’s involvement in the Neighborhoods Study underscores nonprofit Banner Health’s commitment to advancing research and prioritizing prevention for healthier communities as its teams continue to glean more about Alzheimer’s disease each day.
“Understanding Alzheimer's risk has never been more urgent, and studies like this one are pushing the science in a critical new direction — from the lab to the neighborhood level,” said Dr. Corey Casper, Banner’s chief research officer. “The Brain and Body Donation Program's global reach, sharing samples with researchers across 40 U.S. states and 27 countries, means the data our Phoenix-area donors generously provide is helping shape Alzheimer's research and prevention strategies around the world.”
About Banner Health
Banner Health's mission is to make health care easier, so life can be better. As one of the nation's largest fully integrated nonprofit health systems, we are pioneering a sustainable care model that prioritizes prevention, manages chronic disease, and reduces health spending – succeeding when patients stay healthy, not when they get sick. We operate 33 hospitals and more than 400 sites across six states, delivering seamless care from primary to quaternary medicine, including health insurance, physician networks, world-renowned specialty services, and behavioral health. Accountable to the communities we serve, we reinvest every dollar into advancing care, research, and facilities, providing more than $1 billion each year in community benefit. Through our partnership with the University of Arizona, we drive clinical discoveries across more than 800 trials and train more than 1,300 residents and fellows annually. Headquartered in Arizona, we serve Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming. Our hospitals are consistently ranked among Arizona's top-performing by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/about.
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