The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Headache Society (AHS) have joined forces for the first time to co-fund an Innovative Project Award, a $200,000 grant supporting a two-year study on how migraine and other headache disorders affect cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. This collaboration signals a growing recognition of the intricate relationship between neurological and cardiovascular conditions, potentially reshaping how clinicians approach prevention and treatment for millions of migraine sufferers.
The co-funded award was granted to Dr. Juliana Navia Pelaez, an assistant professor at St. Louis University School of Medicine, for her project titled “Neurogenic Priming of Perivascular Macrophages by Migraine-Associated Peptides Increases Stroke Risk.” Pelaez’s research explores whether repeated migraine attacks over-activate the brain’s own immune cells, which normally protect blood vessels, leading to weakened vessels and heightened stroke susceptibility. “If migraines happen over and over, these immune cells might stay ‘on’ for too long,” Pelaez explained. “When this happens, they might accidentally make the blood vessels weaker.” Her work could pave the way for new preventive strategies, such as calming overactive brain immune cells or blocking the signals that trigger them.
In addition to Pelaez’s project, the AHA has funded three other high-impact studies at the intersection of headache disorders and cerebrovascular health. Dr. Andrea M. Harriott of Massachusetts General Hospital will investigate how cortical spreading depolarizations—a mechanism of migraine with aura—may cause long-term damage to brain blood vessels. Dr. Matthew T. Bender of the University of Rochester will develop a novel MRI framework to examine the brain’s waste removal system in idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a headache disorder predominantly affecting overweight women of childbearing age. Dr. Neil Dani of Vanderbilt University will study the choroid plexus, a small brain region that may link obesity-related inflammation to migraines, and test whether existing drugs like acetazolamide can reduce pain signaling.
These four projects collectively represent a strategic investment in understanding the heart-brain connection, an area that has historically received less attention. Migraine affects more than a billion people worldwide, and its association with stroke and cardiovascular disease has long puzzled researchers. By supporting high-risk, high-reward science, the AHA and AHS aim to uncover biological mechanisms that could lead to targeted therapies and improved outcomes. The AHA has now funded more than $6.3 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and brain health research since 1949, solidifying its role as the largest non-profit supporter of such research in the U.S. This partnership with the AHS, a professional society dedicated to headache care and research, underscores the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration. As the AHA continues its century-long mission, findings from these studies could directly impact millions by reducing stroke risk and enhancing quality of life for those with chronic headaches. For more information, visit heart.org or americanheadachesociety.org, and the original release is available at www.newmediawire.com.
