The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Headache Society (AHS) have announced a groundbreaking collaboration to co-fund an Innovative Project Award aimed at advancing research on the relationship between migraine and other headache disorders and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. This marks the first time the two organizations have jointly funded such research, signaling a growing recognition of the need to understand the heart-brain connection. The award provides $200,000 over two years to support high-risk, high-reward projects that could lead to new ways to prevent stroke and other cardiovascular events in people with migraine.
The 2026 co-funded award was granted to Juliana Navia Pelaez, Ph.D., 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 will investigate whether repeated migraine attacks overactivate the brain's immune cells that guard blood vessels, potentially weakening them and increasing stroke risk. "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 explained. "If the vessels get weaker, the brain might have a harder time protecting itself from a stroke." The project aims to identify the signals that activate these cells during migraine and how they respond after a stroke, which could lead to new preventive strategies for chronic migraine sufferers.
In addition to the co-funded award, the AHA has funded three other Innovative Project Awards to explore the intersection of headache disorders and cerebrovascular health. Andrea M. Harriott, M.D., Ph.D., at Massachusetts General Hospital, will study how cortical spreading depolarizations—mechanisms involved in migraine with aura—affect blood vessel function and remodeling. Matthew T. Bender, M.D., at 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 that primarily affects overweight women of childbearing age. Neil Dani, Ph.D., at Vanderbilt University, will investigate the role of the choroid plexus in obesity-related migraines and test whether existing drugs like acetazolamide can reduce inflammation and pain signaling.
These projects collectively represent a significant investment in understanding the shared mechanisms between migraine and cardiovascular disease. The AHA has now funded more than $6.3 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and brain health research since 1949, making it the largest non-profit supporter of such research in the U.S. This collaboration with the AHS underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to tackle complex health issues.
For patients, this research could translate into new therapies that not only alleviate migraine but also reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. For the healthcare industry, it highlights the need for integrated care that addresses both neurological and cardiovascular factors. As the AHA continues its mission to advance health, the findings from these studies may lead to personalized interventions for millions affected by migraine and headache disorders. More information about the AHA's research programs can be found at heart.org, and details about the AHS are available at americanheadachesociety.org. The original release can be viewed on www.newmediawire.com.
