Federal funding cuts to dementia research at UC Davis will have significant impacts on minority communities already experiencing higher rates of the disease. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently canceled a nearly $36 million research project led by Dr. Charles DeCarli, one of the country’s top dementia researchers.
The NIH terminated the project in March, claiming it perpetuated a “DEI agenda.” In their termination letter, they stated that “research programs based primarily on artificial and non-scientific categories, including amorphous equity objectives, are antithetical to scientific inquiry.”
This decision ignores the stark health disparities in dementia rates across racial and ethnic groups. According to information in the article, both Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease compared to white Americans. Women also face disproportionately higher risks.
“This particular grant was the pinnacle of my research,” DeCarli told CalMatters. His canceled project still had $10 million in funding and included 28 clinical and research sites with 1,700 participants experiencing mild cognitive impairments.
The funding cuts extend beyond DeCarli’s work. The NIH has terminated at least 30 other UC projects, totaling more than $173 million. While California has joined 15 other states in suing the NIH, and multiple lawsuits aim to halt the grant cancellations, research has already been compromised.
“Dementia affects many Americans and their loved ones. It is an epidemic. It is a huge public health problem,” DeCarli emphasized. “This study is trying to improve the health of all Americans.”
See: “Feds cut UC Davis dementia research due to DEI” (April 11, 2025)
