DALLAS, TX and WILMINGTON, DE - September 22, 2026 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - For the first time, the American Headache Society and the American Heart Association are collaborating to co-fund an Innovative Project Award to advance scientific research on the effects migraine or other headache disorders have on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. The Heart Association is also funding three additional Innovative Project Awards for 2026.

The Innovative Project Award, which provides $200,000 for a two-year project, prioritizes innovative approaches and high-risk/high-reward research, aligned with the commitment to advance these crucial values in health research and practice. Eligible projects spanned various disciplines, including basic science studies, clinical research and population health research initiatives. Projects were welcome to address any age, covering the lifespan from children and adolescents to middle age and late life.

2026 Innovative Project Award Recipients

This year’s co-funded award goes to Juliana Navia Pelaez, Ph.D., an assistant professor at St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, for the submission “Neurogenic Priming of Perivascular Macrophages by Migraine-Associated Peptides Increases Stroke Risk.”

Some individuals who suffer from migraine have a higher risk of stroke. While clinicians do not fully understand why, there has been a focus on blood vessels in the brain. During a migraine, these vessels may tighten, swell or change how blood moves through them. Scientists now suspect another part of the brain could also be involved: its own immune cells. These immune cells guard blood vessels and help protect the brain.

Pelaez’s project asks: do frequent migraine attacks make these brain “guards” too active? “If migraines happen over and over, these immune cells might stay “on” for too long. When this happens, they might accidentally make the blood vessels weaker," Pelaez said. “If the vessels get weaker, the brain might have a harder time protecting itself from a stroke.”

The project will look at which signals during a migraine activate these brain immune cells and how those signals react after a stroke, compared to how the cells react in the absence of a migraine. “If our idea is right,” Pelaez added, “This could help scientists find new ways to prevent strokes in people with chronic migraine, maybe by calming these overactive brain cells or blocking the signals that bother them.”

In addition to this award, the American Heart Association has funded three other high-impact research projects to advance discoveries at the intersection of headache disorders and cerebrovascular health. They are:

The Impact Of Cortical Spreading Depolarizations On Endothelial Phenotype, Neovascularization, and Collateral Remodeling submitted by Andrea M. Harriott, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in neurology in the department of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

There is a link between migraine with aura, stroke and heart attack. Before, it was thought that migraine with aura may lead to stroke and heart attack because it increases the risk for other factors that cause these conditions. This project will investigate whether long-term exposure to mechanisms of migraine with aura causes long-term negative effects on blood vessels in the brain. Protein changes in blood vessel cells, new blood vessel formation and function will be examined.

Defining The Glymphatic-Hemodynamic Axis In IIH A Novel Multi-Scale Quantitative MRI Framework submitted by Matthew T. Bender, M.D., an associate professor at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a headache disorder that mostly affects overweight women of childbearing age. Doctors believe IIH happens because of high pressure in the brain from too much cerebrospinal fluid. Recent research suggests IIH may also be connected to issues with the brain’s waste removal system. This project will develop a new MRI method to view the brain’s waste removal system and blood vessels without using contrast dye or invasive procedures. IIH patient brains will be scanned before and after vein stenting to see how opening the veins affects waste removal and blood flow. 

Illuminating Nociceptive And Analgesic Mechanisms Of Choroid Plexus In Migraine And Obesity Models submitted by Neil Dani, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

There is a rising prevalence of obesity-related migraines. Scientists think a small part of the brain, the choroid plexus, may be causing the problem. The choroid plexus produces cerebrospinal fluid and acts like a door for signals between the body and brain. Because obesity and migraine share inflammatory pathways, scientists think that signals that cause swelling in the body may travel to the brain through this fluid, causing more migraines. This project will characterize inflammation patterns, identify cellular rewiring and immune signaling changes and test whether clinically approved drugs (e.g., acetazolamide) can reduce swelling and pain signaling in migraines.

Together, these efforts demonstrate the shared commitment of the American Headache Society and the American Heart Association to advancing brain health research.

Funding scientific research and discovery through initiatives like this is a cornerstone of the century-old American Heart Association’s lifesaving mission. The Association has now funded more than $6.3 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and brain health research since 1949, making it the single largest non-profit, non-government supporter of heart and brain health research in the U.S. New knowledge resulting from this American Heart Association funding continues to save lives and directly impact millions of people in every corner of the U.S. and around the world.

About the American Heart Association 

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day.  Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

About the American Headache Society

The mission of the American Headache Society is to improve the care and lives of people living with headache disorders. The American Headache Society (AHS) is a professional society of health care providers dedicated to the study and treatment of headache and face pain. Educating physicians, health professionals and the public, and encouraging scientific research are the primary functions of the Society.  For more information about the AHS, visit americanheadachesociety.org or follow us on social on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

For Media Inquiries:

American Heart Association: Cathy Lewis, cathy.lewis@heart.org

American Headache Society: Tanya Kiniry, tkiniry@talley.com

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

View the original release on www.newmediawire.com