Over the past century, the understanding of the physiological roles of inorganic nitrate, also known as dietary nitrate, has significantly advanced. The recognition of inorganic nitrate as a stable metabolic end-product of nitric oxide (NO) [1] and the discovery of the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway emphasised even more the important physiological roles of inorganic nitrate for human health [2]. Current evidence supports the beneficial effects of inorganic nitrate on health outcomes, including cardiovascular, metabolic and brain health [1,2]. Both inorganic nitrate and physical activity have been independently linked to protective effects on cognitive function and a reduced risk of dementia [2,3]. However, to date, no study has explored whether the combination of these two interventions might yield synergistic, beneficial effects on cardiovascular and brain health in older people at a high risk of dementia.  AimsThe project aims to investigate whether combined physical activity and inorganic nitrate could be associated with more pronounced protective effects on cardiovascular and brain health in older individuals at high risk of dementia.Significance Understanding the relationship between inorganic nitrate, physical activity and brain health is crucial for the development of personalised strategies to prevent or mitigate cognitive decline and dementia risk. The project will provide novel data to inform competitive funding applications to test biological mechanisms and the efficacy of interventions with larger sample size and longer duration.This project will be supported by a personal donation of $50,000 (AUD) to Prof Siervo by Berkely Life.Inc (https://berkeleylife.com), a leading, global company in the production of novel nutritional supplements to boost NO production. This will cover the costs linked to the nutritional intervention. Berkeley Life will also provide, at no cost, the nutritional supplements and placebo used in the study. Core funding from Prof Siervo’s budget will also contribute to the project. The proposed project is closely aligned with the school’s educational and research goals and priorities. Nutrition and dementia prevention are key research areas of interest and considerable investment has already been made into these areas by Curtin University. This putting Curtin at the forefront of national and international nutrition and dementia research. The candidate will be supervised by internationally renowned experts in ageing, nutrition and dementia (Curtin University: Prof Mario Siervo, Prof Blossom Stephan), and physical activity, ageing and dementia (A/Prof Elissa Burton). This mentorship plan will ensure that the candidate receives high-quality guidance to enable successful completion of the workplan. This is a novel and impactful PhD, which, will enhance the reputation of the school and university. An internship may be available for this project. Prof Siervo and Prof Stephan have established links with research groups who have extensive knowledge in advanced epidemiological models applied to the COSMIC consortium. Opportunities can be created for the student to establish regular online meetings with CHEBA academics at UNSW when analysing data from the COSMIC cohorts to discuss analyses plans and progress.Eligibility criteriaWe are looking for a self-motivated PhD candidate with excellent organisation, problem-solving and project management skills. Candidates with strong quantitative skills, including familiarity with conducting clinical studies, epidemiology, statistics, exercise science, nutrition and/or neuroscience are desired for this project. The candidate will join an interdisciplinary team focused on improving lives through world-class research in ageing, nutrition, and dementia. They will be responsible for leading new epidemiological and translational research on nutrition, ageing and brain health. Must be eligible to enrol in PhD programs at Curtin.Application processPlease send your CV, academic transcripts and brief rationale why you want to join this research project via the HDR Expression of Interest form to the project lead researcher, Professor Mario Siervo.