Data Science Intern - Machine Learning & AI

New scientific research projects study heart/brain connection to migraines, headaches. The American Heart Association and the American Headache Society are funding new research to study links between cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health and migraine and other headache disorders DALLAS, TX and WILMINGTON, DE, Sept. 22, 2026 - 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: For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

Pilot hits $11 million raised for American Heart Association. Sep 21 2026 Operations & Marketing The company celebrated the milestone at the 2026 Greater Knoxville Heart Walk. Pilot has announced that over the last nine years, it has raised nearly $11.5 million in support of the American Heart Association. The achievement, according to a statement from the company, reflects "the power of community action and Pilot's commitment to safety, uniting people in the fight against heart disease and stroke to help save and improve lives." To celebrate the milestone, Pilot joined the Heart Association at its 2026 Greater Knoxville Heart Walk on Sept. 12. The event brought together Pilot leadership, team members and Heart Association representatives to honor nearly a decade of giving and impact. Since 2017, Pilot has supported the Heart Association through annual in-store fundraising campaigns. Each year during Heart Month in February and Stroke Month in May, Pilot's guests have turned routine fill-ups into critical funds by rounding up eligible purchases to the nearest dollar at checkout or purchasing a paper heart. "At Pilot, our purpose is to show people they matter at every turn, and supporting the safety and wellness of our team members, guests and surrounding communities through heart health and stroke awareness education is one of the most critical and meaningful ways we can live out that purpose," said Adrienne Ingoldt, senior vice president, communications, risk and procurement at Pilot and member of the American Heart Association's National Life is Why Council of Retailers. "Reaching this milestone reflects the generosity of our more than 30,000 team members and the 1.2 million guests who come through our doors every day. They truly are the heartbeat of this achievement." In the greater Knoxville area alone, Pilot's support has helped expand Hands-Only CPR education and training to more than 200,000 people. Additionally, Pilot has hosted on-site trainings at its corporate office and travel center locations on topics such as CPR and stroke identification and response. This critical education enables people to help save lives by giving them the tools to quickly identify potential symptoms and take action to get life-saving care when necessary. "Surpassing $11 million raised is a powerful testament to the commitment of Pilot and its guests to advancing heart health in communities nationwide," said Lisa Hinton, national senior vice president of corporate relations for the American Heart Association. "This support helps drive progress in preventing heart disease and stroke and brings us closer to a future where everyone, everywhere can live longer, healthier lives." Pilot's support of the Heart Association is fueled by the company's Miles of Good giving program. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Pilot is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and employs approximately 30,000 team members. As the largest network of travel centers, Pilot has more than 900 locations in 43 states and five Canadian provinces, serving an average of 1.2 million guests per day.

Vanderbilt Health's Annet Kirabo to receive major award for hypertension research. By: Bill Snyder Vanderbilt Health's Annet Kirabo, DVM, MSc, PhD, will be honored this fall for her groundbreaking research on immune mechanisms that drive high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Kirabo, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, will receive the Established Investigator Award for Clinical Hypertension, a new recognition from the American Heart Association's Council on Hypertension and award sponsor Sky Labs Inc. The award will be presented Oct. 10 during the American Heart Association's Hypertension Scientific Session in Arlington, Virginia. In his nomination letter, Thomas Kleyman, MD, a renowned kidney researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, wrote, "Dr. Kirabo stands out as one of the most innovative, influential, and impactful investigators of her generation. "Her discoveries have fundamentally transformed our understanding of hypertension pathogenesis and have opened new avenues for therapeutic intervention in cardiovascular and kidney disease," he wrote. A native of Uganda, Kirabo earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine at Uganda's Makerere University and continued her studies in the United States, eventually earning a PhD in physiology and functional genomics from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 2011. She began to investigate the role of inflammation in hypertension as a postdoctoral research fellow under the mentorship of David Harrison, MD, the Betty and Jack Bailey Professor of Cardiology and Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt Health. During this period and continuing after she joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2015, Kirabo and her colleagues made several important discoveries that, wrote Kleyman, "established a previously unrecognized connection between oxidative stress, adaptive immunity, and hypertension." Subsequently, Kirabo and her team identified immune mechanisms of salt-sensitive hypertension that could lead to the development of immunotherapeutic approaches to treatment. With more than 230 scientific publications, she was ranked as a 2025 Top Scholar by the global academic analytics platform ScholarGPS "in recognition of (her) exceptional productivity, noteworthy impact, and quality of scholarly work" during the preceding five years. Kirabo, also Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, previously received an American Heart Association postdoctoral fellowship and in 2020 was honored with the Harry Goldblatt Award for Early Career Investigators. She was named a Fellow of the American Heart Association in 2024. Based in South Korea, Sky Labs Inc., provides innovative chronic disease management solutions through "CART BP," the world's first medical-grade ring-type wearable blood pressure monitor.