Brain Aneurysm Foundation Funding Research Today to Prevent Ruptures Tomorrow
Through BAF support, researchers studying new diagnostic strategies designed to expand screening and improve understanding of brain aneurysm risk—before ruptures occur.
2026 Research Grant Spotlight
The Brain Aneurysm Foundation is proud to support groundbreaking research aimed at improving outcomes for patients and ultimately preventing ruptures. Each week, we’ll highlight one of our 2026 funded researchers and provide a brief overview of their project and its potential impact on patients, families, and the future of care.
Hirotaka Sato, MD, PhD
Barrow Neurological Institute
Role of DNMT3A-Driven Clonal Hematopoiesis in Intracranial Aneurysm Rupture
The purpose of this project is to understand why some brain aneurysms rupture. We are studying whether an age-related blood condition called CHIP can increase inflammation in the aneurysm wall and make aneurysms more likely to rupture. By using mouse models, we hope to learn how this process happens and whether blocking inflammation can help prevent rupture.
We hope this research will help us better identify patients who are at higher risk of brain aneurysm rupture. If CHIP is found to play an important role, a simple blood test may help doctors understand rupture risk more accurately. In the future, this could also lead to new treatments that reduce inflammation and prevent aneurysms from rupturing
This project is funded by the Wes Carr Chair of Research and the Kati Lorge Chair of Research
The Facts
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1 in 50 people in the U.S. has an unruptured brain aneurysm
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A brain aneurysm ruptures every 18 minutes
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Early detection is critical as most brain aneurysms are treatable
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The federal government spends only $3.02 per year on brain aneurysm research for each person afflicted
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Our Impact
| The Brain Aneurysm Foundation is the leading advocacy organization supporting education, research, and policy to transform the treatment of brain aneurysms. Funds raised are used for disease awareness efforts and grants that provide support to academic researchers studying the underlying biology of aneurysms or developing new treatment methods. Grantees include leading academic researchers whose work includes efforts to develop biomarkers to better predict and develop potential therapeutics for aneurysms, understand the impact of genetics on rupture outcomes, and create new device technology, drug delivery and robotic approaches to evolve treatment. The BAF has committed nearly $6 million to fund dozens of research efforts in the U.S. and Canada. |
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Over $6.5 million
has been funded by the BAF since the inception of our research grant program in 2007
Discover The Program -
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We advocate on Capitol Hill
to seek greater brain aneurysm specific research funding through NIH
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| Your donation to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation goes directly to critical research efforts focused on reducing the incidence of brain aneurysm ruptures, to create new diagnostics to better prevent ruptures and interventions to transform treatment. Funds are also used to support our education initiatives as we work to advance awareness of the signs of brain aneurysms amongst those at risk, as well as providers and emergency responders. |
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