UC Irvine pediatric neurologist Dr. Ira Lott has received a five-year, $2.4 million National Institutes of Health grant to seek ways of preventing or delaying the onset of dementia in people with Down syndrome, who have an elevated risk of developing it by age 40. Lott will investigate whether this cognitive decline can be predicted via imaging or biomarker measures. His findings could also help identify prevention methods for people at risk for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Lott is one of two U.S. researchers awarded NIH grants to explore this issue.