Grant List
Represents Grant table in the DB
GET /v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1384&sort=end_date
{ "links": { "first": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1&sort=end_date", "last": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1392&sort=end_date", "next": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1385&sort=end_date", "prev": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1383&sort=end_date" }, "data": [ { "type": "Grant", "id": "15249", "attributes": { "award_id": "1K01AT012650-01A1", "title": "Culturally tailoring a mindfulness meditation mobile app to reduce psychological distress in African American adults", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 23034, "first_name": "Peter Daniel", "last_name": "Murray", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2024-08-09", "end_date": "2029-07-31", "award_amount": 151672, "principal_investigator": { "id": 31836, "first_name": "Jennifer Logan", "last_name": "Green", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 775, "ror": "https://ror.org/0264fdx42", "name": "San Diego State University", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "This K01 is a mixed methods research project in collaboration with an industry partner (i.e., Healthy Minds Innovations) and will be conducted across three aims during a 5-year comprehensive training program. In this innovative proposal, the candidate has identified a mentorship team and training goals to facilitate their transition to an independent research career focused on achieving health equity and advancing mind-body research by delivering culturally tailored digital health interventions to improve mental health and well-being in underserved populations. Background: African American (AA) adults are 20% more likely to report serious psychological distress (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) compared to white adults. Racial discrimination, a significant source of stress in AA adults, increases psychological distress. AA adults lack access to quality mental health care and the compounding impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may further exacerbate mental health disparities. Reducing psychological distress and increasing access to mental health care for AA adults is a public health emergency. Commercially available mindfulness meditation mobile apps may be an effective and efficient solution because they improve psychological distress, are highly scalable and can increase access to care. However, most are not culturally tailored (i.e., include groups’ unique experiences, values, and beliefs). Culturally tailoring mindfulness meditation apps can enhance engagement and efficacy in racial/ethnic minority populations. Specific aims and research design: The goal of Aim 1 is to inform the development of an app prototype via focus groups (N=4, 5 participants each) in AA adults (half meditators, half non-meditators). The goal of Aim 2 is to culturally tailor a commercial mindfulness meditation app (Healthy Minds Program app) through a User-Centered Design (UCD) workshop. AA adults (N=8) will attend a virtual half-day UCD workshop where they will co-design an app prototype. After the prototype is built, participants will test it for 1 week and complete an exit interview to refine the app. Aim 3 will determine the feasibility of the culturally tailored prototype app following predetermined benchmarks. AA adults with elevated stress (N=72) will be randomized to use HMP or a health education app (The Wellness App) for 8 weeks. Psychological distress, race-related stress, mindfulness, and self- compassion will be measured at pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Acceptability (ability to recruit, satisfaction, continued use, appropriateness) will be assessed with a post-intervention satisfaction survey. Demand (adherence to treatment) will be measured by objective app usage data (sessions/minutes completed) and attrition rate. Mentoring and training: A team of expert mentors and advisors (Vranceanu, Burnett-Zeigler, Gallo, and Roesch) will oversee the progress of this study and contribute to mentoring the candidate across 4 training goals aimed to develop expertise in: 1) mental health disparities, 2) cultural tailoring methods, 3) digital clinical trials, and 4) qualitative and mixed methods research and advanced statistics. This proposal aligns with NCCIH’s funding priorities including the development of feasible mobile health (mHealth) mind- body interventions and reducing health disparities. Impact: Collectively, this career development award will serve as a strong foundation toward the candidate’s independent research career and provides an innovative solution to improve access to mental health care for AA adults.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "15257", "attributes": { "award_id": "1R01AI179709-01A1", "title": "Immunogenetics of COVID-19 Immune Response", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 26918, "first_name": "Michelle Marie", "last_name": "Arnold", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2024-08-01", "end_date": "2029-07-31", "award_amount": 814873, "principal_investigator": { "id": 31845, "first_name": "Richard B", "last_name": "Kennedy", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 1426, "ror": "", "name": "MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "MN", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "This application is a request for funding of a vaccine immunogenetics research program focused on identifying critical genetic and phenotypic determinants of COVID-19 infection and/or vaccination-induced immunity by examining associations between gene polymorphisms, HLA allelic variation, and clinical phenotypes and inter- individual variations in immune response to COVID-19. Our laboratory has done significant work delineating the effect of gene polymorphisms on mumps, measles, rubella, influenza, and smallpox vaccine immune responses. Our research demonstrates that variations in immune responses to viral vaccines are multigenic and not a single dominant allele model and that the genetic contribution to such variations in immune responses can be quantified. Informed by insights from these studies and given the public health importance of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, we now turn our attention to understanding genetic associations with COVID-19-induced immune responses (regardless of whether they are vaccine or infection-induced, or a result of hybrid immunity). The most thorough and efficient study for such purposes is a comprehensive discovery/replication genome-wide association study (GWAS), to which we will add a phenome association study (PheWAS) followed by a more complete characterization of distinct immune effector mechanisms believed to contribute to protective immunity. Our studies will identify gene polymorphisms and pathways having the largest or most critical impact on inter-individual variations in immunity among subjects, and how comorbidities (phenotypes) contribute to these variations. Our Specific Aims are to 1) perform a large, genome-wide association study to identify novel genetic associations between SNPs and HLA alleles and inter-individual variations in the humoral immune response to COVID-19 infection or vaccination; identify polygenic risk scores predictive of antibody response; replicate the findings in an independent cohort; evaluate significant findings in a cohort with documented infection and no vaccination; 2) conduct a phenome-wide association study to quantify the effect of additional subject characteristics (e.g., age, sex, race, ethnicity, BMI), comorbidities, and phecodes (clusters of ICD10 codes) on the antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines; and 3) Evaluate the effect of genetic variation and host factors on T cell and B cell markers of immune response following vaccination. These aims will allow us to comprehensively define how inter-individual variations in immune responses to COVID-19 vaccine are influenced by gene polymorphisms and host characteristics. Notably, despite the public health implications, there are no population-based studies identifying associations between COVID-19 vaccine immune response and genome-wide SNPs or clinical phenotypes. Our study is carefully designed to be rigorous and produce robust, unbiased, and reproducible results applicable to the US population.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "15259", "attributes": { "award_id": "1U01IP001238-01", "title": "IP24-045, PREVENT: Preparedness through Respiratory Virus Epidemiology and Community Engagement", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [], "start_date": "2024-08-01", "end_date": "2029-07-31", "award_amount": 5753431, "principal_investigator": { "id": 23572, "first_name": "LOUISE CHANG", "last_name": "LAURENT", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 760, "ror": "https://ror.org/0168r3w48", "name": "University of California, San Diego", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Monitoring of the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of respiratory infections has largely been performed by collecting and analyzing data from hospitals and clinical laboratories. While these data sources provide valuable information on risk factors, incidence, therapeutic response, and outcomes of severe disease, they do not reflect the range of potential clinical presentations and courses of disease, factors that increase or decrease the risk of community transmission, and the impact of disease on education and employment. We therefore propose to create “PREVENT: Preparedness through Respiratory Virus Epidemiology and Community Engagement,” which will serve as one of the CDC Pandemic Preparedness Network Cohorts and the Network’s Data Hub. We will participate in Components A1, A2, B, and C, with a catchment that spans San Diego County in HHS Region 9 adjacent to the U.S./Mexico border. Our relevant experience includes establishment of innovative programs for large-scale COVID-19 clinical testing, environmental surveillance through monitoring of wastewater and surface swabs, viral genome sequencing, and monitoring of immunity using co-created community-based sample collection strategies that are highly accessible and culturally sensitive. Major PREVENT activities will include: Component A1: We will enroll and retain a diverse longitudinal cohort of 2,000 individuals for: weekly symptom screening; surveys on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to preventative measures; extraction of outcome and vaccination data from electronic health records and immunization information systems; and collection of follow-up data from participants on use of preventative/therapeutic measures and healthcare resources, missed school/work, symptom type/duration, and long-term sequelae. Symptomatic swabs will be collected and tested for 20 high-priority respiratory pathogens. Viral genome sequencing will be performed on a subset of samples using targeted and metatranscriptomic methods. Samples will be banked for >5 years. Component A2: Serial blood samples will be collected, analyzed, and banked from 20% of participants in Component A1. Samples will be collected at enrollment, in the months flanking the respiratory infection season, before/after vaccinations, and after infection. Quantitative immunoassays for antigen-specific antibody (Ab) levels and neutralizing antibody (nAb) levels against contemporary circulating virus isolates will be performed. Component B: For >100 index cases from A1 per year, we will collect and test daily nasal swabs from >75% of household members for >2 weeks. A subset of swabs (including at least 1 per index case) will be analyzed by viral genome sequencing, and high-priority pathogens/variants will be cultured. For a subset of households, we will also explore the relationships between viral load (quantified by qPCR) and viral titer (by in vitro cell-based assay), and between viral culture positivity and transmission. Component C: We will serve as the Data Hub and Warehouse, and support protocol development across the network, provide data entry and management tools, analyze data; and develop dashboards/visualizations.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "15272", "attributes": { "award_id": "1R01AA031252-01A1", "title": "Evaluating Telehealth Delivery of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 26558, "first_name": "Bradley Townsend", "last_name": "Kerridge", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2024-08-20", "end_date": "2029-07-31", "award_amount": 708556, "principal_investigator": { "id": 31859, "first_name": "CLAYTON", "last_name": "NEIGHBORS", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [ { "id": 20520, "first_name": "Eric R.", "last_name": "Pedersen", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 152, "ror": "https://ror.org/03taz7m60", "name": "University of Southern California", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] } ], "awardee_organization": { "id": 231, "ror": "https://ror.org/048sx0r50", "name": "University of Houston", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "TX", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "The proposed research study will test the efficacy of a telehealth version of the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), which is the gold standard prevention and intervention approach to target heavy alcohol use on college campuses across the United States. BASICS in an NIAAA Tier 1 intervention which involves assessment of drinking behavior followed by a single in-person session in which personalized feedback is presented by a trained facilitator in a motivational interviewing (MI) style utilizing harm reduction principles to reduce risks and alcohol-related consequences. Alternative strategies requiring less time, effort, and resources, with no face-to-face interaction with a facilitator (e.g., web-based personalized feedback), have proven less effective. The in-person delivery format of BASICS has presented barriers to wider implementation due to the time, effort, and costs of traveling to and from sessions, the need for private meeting space, and the firmly fixed scheduling of intervention sessions. In the proposed study, we will evaluate the efficacy of a tele-BASICS approach utilizing the ZOOM application compared to in-person BASICS and a lower threshold treatment as usual intervention. Three hundred mandated and 300 volunteer students who report hazardous drinking will be recruited from two large universities and randomly assigned to a condition (in- person BASICS, Tele-BASICS, or treatment as usual). Follow-up assessments will occur 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12- months post-baseline. The significance of this research lies in the potential to maximize access to the highest standard of care by establishing support for easier access without sacrificing any central features of the traditional BASICS intervention. In addition, many universities pragmatically adapted existing in-person interventions to remote-telehealth approaches in response to the COVID pandemic but now have no scientific basis for determining whether transitioning back to in-person approaches would be beneficial. In addition to demonstrating non-inferiority to traditional BASICS, we expect Tele-BASICS to significantly outperform treatment as usual. Attention and working therapeutic alliance are expected to mediate intervention efficacy. We expect Tele-BASICS to have stronger effects than in-person BASICS among women, heavier drinkers, students without co-occurring substance use, and those with greater motivation. We expect higher Tele- BASICS participants recruitment and completion rates and lower costs relative to in-person BASICS. This research brings together a team of experienced investigators with a collaborative history and supports NIAAA's strategic plan to improve strategies to prevent and reduce harmful alcohol consumption in a high-risk population. The establishment of Tele-BASICS as an efficacious alternative to in-person BASICS would allow more schools to adopt BASICS as their standard of care – and potentially engage more students in empirically- supported treatment by decreasing barriers to care.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "15274", "attributes": { "award_id": "1R13AI186419-01", "title": "24th Annual Rocky Mountain Virology Association Conference", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 22573, "first_name": "Barbara L.", "last_name": "Mulach", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2024-08-01", "end_date": "2029-07-31", "award_amount": 7500, "principal_investigator": { "id": 24399, "first_name": "Rushika", "last_name": "Perera", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 323, "ror": "https://ror.org/03k1gpj17", "name": "Colorado State University", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CO", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 323, "ror": "https://ror.org/03k1gpj17", "name": "Colorado State University", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CO", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Program Summary / Abstract The Rocky Mountain Virology Association (RMVA) will hold its 24th annual meeting September 27th-29th, 2024. The meeting brings together regional and national investigators in virology and prion biology for a 3-day retreat- style conference with extensive interaction and collaboration. The original meeting was organized by investigators in Colorado and Wyoming interested in free and open exchange of scientific data and ideas in virology in a venue that promotes collaboration among students, post-docs and faculty. Specifically, our annual meeting at the CSU Mountain Campus encourages young scientists to present their research and receive feedback from established scientists. The goals are promotion of scientific interactions and training. A major benefit of participation has been the novel collaborations that arise between scientists in different disciplines. Topics discussed include medical virology (vaccines, epidemiology, viral zoonoses), arthropod-borne diseases (viruses, RNA metabolism, viral vectors and vector biology), host defenses (viral immunology and pathogenesis), prion biology, cancer biology and systems biology. Special sessions on vaccine development, pandemic viruses, virus discovery and the global impact of viral diseases have been common features. The 2021 meeting had a retrospective on the COVID-19 pandemic with discussions on successful approaches and establishment of systems for future challenges. The next meeting will feature discussions on Immune mechanisms of arthropod vectors, pathogen genomics, arenaviruses, filoviruses, coronaviruses, noroviruses, arboviruses (flaviviruses and alphaviruses), lentiviruses, prion diseases, paleovirology, neurobiology, host-pathogen interactions, virus latency, epigenetics and host response. The meeting offers excellent collaborative opportunities. Attendees include scientists from CSU, University of Colorado, University of Wyoming, University of Northern Colorado, the Centers for Disease Control (Fort Collins) and the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, regional biotech companies, and universities in Iowa, Idaho, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico and Utah. The RMVA was incorporated in 2010 as an educational charity (501(c)(3)). Our volunteer board of directors is charged with encouraging student and junior faculty involvement by minimizing costs as we encourage women and minorities to participate in all stages of program presentation and development. Our attendance is limited to a maximum of 125 individuals, and the growth of the meeting to capacity illustrates the desire of regional scientists to participate. Funds for this proposal are requested to provide minority grants and childcare, reduced registration fees for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and early-stage investigators, and for travel and housing for seven invited speakers. Registration fees, charitable contributions, and sponsorships cover the base costs for the meeting. The RMVA has been a source of communication and collaboration in the Rocky Mountain region, with outreach across the nation, for twenty-three years. NIAID support has expanded meeting interest to national and international levels.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "15276", "attributes": { "award_id": "1P01HL167668-01A1", "title": "The Immunobiology of Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 22561, "first_name": "Andrei L.", "last_name": "Kindzelski", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2024-08-01", "end_date": "2029-07-31", "award_amount": 650240, "principal_investigator": { "id": 31864, "first_name": "Mortimer", "last_name": "Poncz", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 1016, "ror": "", "name": "VERSITI WISCONSIN, INC.", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "WI", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a complication of adenoviral (AdV)-based COVID-19 vaccination. Antibodies (Abs) against the 70-aa chemokine, platelet (Plt) factor 4 (PF4), have been noted in both VITT and in the related immune, prothrombotic disorder, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), but target different sites on the human (h) PF4 tetramer. The site on hPF4 targeted in VITT is conserved in the related chemokine, 94-aa -granule, Plt-basic protein (PBP) and its N-terminal-truncated isoforms (PBPi), including 70-aa neutrophil-activating peptide 2 (NAP2) that uniquely activates neutrophils (PMNs) via CXCR2. We hypothesize that PF4 and/or PBP can initiate VITT and contribute to its prothrombotic state. We show that VITT Abs bind hPBPi and activate Plts. Mice injected with VITT plasma develop a prothrombotic state even in the absence of PF4, and unlike in murine HIT, PMNs become incorporated into arterial as well as venular thrombi. We also show by dynamic light scattering (DLS) that both chemokines bind directly to AdVs. In a murine VITT model, Abs develop to either PF4 or PBPi. We will pursue our observation and test the above hypothesis as follows: Aim 1: Characterize the range of antigenic targets of VITT Abs. We will confirm that VITT Abs, VITT monoclonal (mo) Abs, and murine Abs generated in Aim 3 bind to hPBPi. We will also determine where VITT Abs bind on hPBPi using select amino acid substitutions of hPBP. Aim 2: Examine the importance of hPF4 and hPBPi in VITT in vitro and in vivo. We will test the relative contribution of hPF4 vs. hPBPi to thrombus formation in vitro using an injured-endothelium microfluidic model. Transgenic FcRIIA+ mice that express either no PF4 or PBP, or have the murine or human versions, will be injected with VITT Abs to recreate the prothrombotic state to validate the importance of PF4 vs. PBP in the development of thrombi in vivo. Aim 3: Examine the mechanistic basis for the onset of VITT in a murine model. We have developed a novel murine VITT model that suggests that the prothrombotic state occurs after AdV vaccination independent of expressing the COVID-19 spike protein. Both anti-PF4 and anti-PBPi Abs were noted. These studies were supported by DLS studies which showed that both chemokines complex with AdV, but that some AdV bind better to hPF4 and others to hPBPi. The mechanistic basis of VITT will be further pursued, including defining the site(s) by which these chemokines interact with AdV, and the characterization of the formed Abs. Taken together, Project 3 should provide important, novel conceptual insights into VITT. A number of new VITT-like pro-thrombotic disorders are being recognized, and our studies should also be applicable to these disorders. Finally, AdV-based vaccines have been developed for other disorders, and our models in Aim 3 may guide AdV modifications to enhance vaccine safety. These advances will greatly benefit from synergy between Dr. Poncz and the expertise provided by shared Core B at Versiti's Blood Research Institute, as well as with the other Project Leaders in our Program – each studying thematically related, clinically important immune thrombocytopenic disorders.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "15279", "attributes": { "award_id": "1R01CA283736-01A1", "title": "Innovative mRNA vaccines to enhance the efficacy of T-cell transfer therapies against solid tumors", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Cancer Institute (NCI)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 25072, "first_name": "Yin", "last_name": "Liu", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2024-08-01", "end_date": "2029-07-31", "award_amount": 628499, "principal_investigator": { "id": 31866, "first_name": "Norbert", "last_name": "Pardi", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [ { "id": 31867, "first_name": "Caius Gabriel", "last_name": "Radu", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "awardee_organization": { "id": 818, "ror": "", "name": "UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "The remarkable effectiveness of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines heralds a transformative immunization platform against viral infections. A key innovation—recognized with the 2023 Nobel Prize—is the replacement of uridine (U) with N1-methylpseudouridine (m1Ψ) in their mRNA constructs. This substitution reduces side effects and increases antigen production. However, applying m1Ψ-modified mRNA vaccines to the realm of cancer immunotherapy introduces a host of new and complex challenges. These range from understanding the implications of U-to-m1Ψ substitution on anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses to devising effective priming and boosting strategies, creating more predictive animal models, and surmounting the immunosuppressive elements within the tumor microenvironment (TME). To address these challenges, this proposal outlines a research framework built around mechanistic studies with the goal of generating new mRNA vaccines for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)—a cancer with urgent unmet therapeutic needs. Specific Aim 1 seeks to engineer a new class of mRNA vaccines targeting clinically relevant tumor antigens, mesothelin (MSLN), and mutant KRAS (KRASG12D). SubAim 1.1 consists of mechanistic studies to inform strategies for optimizing mRNA-encoded antigen and adjuvant properties and devising effective priming and boosting approaches to enhance immunogenicity and reduce reactogenicity. SubAim 1.2 uses stringent PDAC models to evaluate whether the new vaccines significantly improve the efficacy of T cell transfer therapies. Specific Aim 2 evaluates the new mRNA vaccines in humanized immune system mouse models. Due to significant interspecies differences in innate immune responses to mRNA vaccines, it is vital to move beyond traditional mouse models. SubAim 2.1 aims to understand the effects of these vaccines on human conventional type 1 dendritic cells and subsequent CD8+ T cell activation. SubAim 2.2 focuses on validating the vaccines' safety and efficacy in humanized mouse models engrafted with human PDAC tumors. Specific Aim 3 assesses the potential for allele-specific KRAS inhibitors to reprogram the immunosuppressive PDAC TME, thus enhancing mRNA vaccine efficacy. SubAim 3.1 will investigate whether the new mRNA platform prevents tumor recurrence in PDAC mouse models treated with allele-specific KRAS inhibitors. SubAim 3.2 seeks to elucidate how combining mRNA-based immunotherapies with KRAS-targeted therapies impacts the immunogenicity of PDAC cells, the composition of the immune TME, and anti-tumor efficacy. Deliverables range from developing and optimizing new mRNA vaccines to a systematic mechanistic evaluation of these vaccines in both conventional and humanized mouse models, and finally, to investigating synergies with clinical-stage mutant KRAS-targeted therapies. The anticipated impact consists of advancing the understanding of how new mRNA-based immunotherapies enable priming and sustaining the cancer- immunity cycle and developing effective combination therapies against PDAC for future clinical translation.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "15282", "attributes": { "award_id": "1K01AI183926-01", "title": "Examining the Interplay of COVID-19 and HIV: Impacts on HIV Care, Disparities, and Long-Term Outcomes", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 10025, "first_name": "JoanaD'arc C", "last_name": "Roe", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2024-08-02", "end_date": "2029-07-31", "award_amount": 148824, "principal_investigator": { "id": 31870, "first_name": "McKaylee", "last_name": "Robertson", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 1070, "ror": "", "name": "GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH POLICY", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "NY", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "COVID-19 may have negatively impacted efforts aimed at EHE and exacerbated disparities in HIV outcomes. For EHE to be successful, it is important to understand any lasting impacts that adversely complicate HIV control and impact care of people with HIV (PWH), and to address structural issues at the root of disparities during and after an overlapping pandemic. The impact of post COVID conditions (PCC) PCC on HIV outcomes has not been studied. While PCC has been documented to increase incident comorbidities and complications, data on the epidemiology of PCC are lacking for PWH. It is critical to understand epidemiological risk and any long-term increases in comorbidities among PWH due to SARS-CoV-2 to inform care and support. The goal of the proposed study is to understand the clinical and social factors that impact HIV and COVID-19 outcomes among PWH and to characterize how the COVID-19 pandemic, including PCC, may influence HIV care outcomes. This research will leverage established cohorts: 1) clinical cohorts of PWH and PWoH from the Johns Hopkins Healthcare System and Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States and 2) the CHASING COVID Cohort, an online community-based cohort of US adults. The proposed research poses unique methodological challenges due to the varying definitions of PCC, the quantity of exposure data and the longitudinal design, all of which may increase measurement error. This K01 will provide experience, knowledge and training in methods (advanced biostatistics methods related to improving inferences in settings with complex exposure pathways and measurement error) and content (comorbidity development among PWH, including PCC, and social determinants of health). The study aims to: (1) compare clinical risk factors for PCC-related comorbidities by HIV status using target trial approaches with marginal structural models for time-varying confounding and outcome censoring; (2) characterize the role of social determinants of PCC-related comorbidities by HIV status using multi-level models; and (3) assess the role of COVID-era factors on disparities in HIV outcomes, using a novel mediation approach in combination with modern approaches for minimizing bias (e.g., potential-mediator weighted models). Focusing the research, in part, on PCC will provide an opportunity to address a complicated and multi- faceted problem lacking robust epidemiological data for PWH. Findings from the proposed study are critical to understanding the longer-term impact of COVID-19 on HIV outcomes, disparities in HIV and COVID outcomes, the epidemiology and natural history of PCC within an immunocompromised population, and pandemic preparedness for PWH and EHE. Other innovations include: 1) triangulating electronic health record data with reported data from one of the few national-community-based cohorts and 2) improving inference by incorporating advanced design and methods with clinical insight. Furthermore, the focus on clinical and social pathways is critical for identifying the next generation of HIV interventions for EHE.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "15285", "attributes": { "award_id": "1K23HD112599-01A1", "title": "Caregiver decision making for seasonal respiratory vaccines for children", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 6227, "first_name": "Tracy", "last_name": "King", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2024-08-13", "end_date": "2029-07-31", "award_amount": 155322, "principal_investigator": { "id": 31873, "first_name": "Sarah Elizabeth", "last_name": "Schaffer DeRoo", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 1167, "ror": "", "name": "CHILDREN'S RESEARCH INSTITUTE", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "DC", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "In the current post-Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic era, the scientific community is preparing for the need for seasonal vaccination campaigns similar to annual influenza vaccination to slow transmission. Uptake of COVID-19 vaccines for children has been lackluster, mirroring a trend observed for seasonal influenza vaccines among pediatric patients. The low vaccination rates for both COVID-19 and influenza among children are starkly contrasted with the relatively stable, high rates for non-seasonal, childhood vaccines, including hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and varicella vaccines. These data support findings that parents are more hesitant to vaccinate their children against influenza when compared to non- seasonal, childhood vaccines, and the slow uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among children suggests that a similar trend has emerged for COVID-19. These overarching trends suggest that the determinants of parental hesitancy for seasonal respiratory vaccines (SRVs) may fundamentally differ from those for non-seasonal vaccines, though this phenomenon has not previously been explored. This gap has significant implications for the development of interventions to address SRV hesitancy. If the underlying determinants of vaccine hesitancy differ for seasonal versus non-seasonal vaccines, the evidence-based interventions employed to overcome vaccine hesitancy may not be transferrable to SRVs in the post-pandemic era. My long-term career goal is design and implement high-fidelity interventions for addressing pediatric vaccine hesitancy as an independently-funded investigator. The proposed project’s overall objective is to identify factors influencing parental SRV hesitancy in the post-pandemic era to inform a targeted communication strategies intervention for pediatricians tailored to address SRV hesitancy. We will accomplish the project objective through a mixed- methods study with the following aims: 1) Identify determinants of parental SRV hesitancy; 2) Identify pediatricians’ perceived challenges and facilitators of vaccine communication; and 3) Develop and pilot a communication strategies curriculum for pediatricians tailored to address parental SRV hesitancy. This pilot study has the potential to generate contemporary, evidence-based communication tools to minimize physician burnout around vaccine discussions, and ultimately to promote pediatric SRV uptake. In the process, I will advance my training by developing 1) expertise in health communication and behavioral science, 2) advanced techniques in mixed methods design, 3) expertise in health communication interventions and implementation science, and 4) leadership and professional development skills to translate my findings into clinical practice. In summary, this research will help develop my expertise in mixed methods and behavioral interventions, enabling me to become an independent investigator capable of developing and translating novel vaccine hesitancy interventions to real-world clinical settings, with the ultimate goal of promoting widespread vaccine uptake among children.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "15290", "attributes": { "award_id": "1K01DA058152-01A1", "title": "Exploring the antecendents and consequences of cannabis use in the context of coping: An experimental study", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 28174, "first_name": "JOHN RAPHAEL", "last_name": "Fedota", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2024-08-01", "end_date": "2029-07-31", "award_amount": 188039, "principal_investigator": { "id": 31880, "first_name": "Carillon Joy", "last_name": "Skrzynski", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 1583, "ror": "", "name": "UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CO", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "As cannabis legalization increases, there have been concurrent increases in use. A common reason for use is the mitigation of anxiety and stress, which has been exacerbated with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, cannabis use for coping purposes is associated with greater quantity and frequency (Q/F) of cannabis use, increased risk for cannabis-related problems, and greater likelihood for cannabis dependence. In turn, greater Q/F of cannabis use and dependence can lead to safety risks, mental/physical health issues, and other problems like greater Q/F of alcohol use. Thus, developing a greater understanding of cannabis use for coping purposes is a critical research endeavor. There are several important avenues of research that can inform our understanding of this use pattern. The first is examining if quantity of cannabis is actually increased when used for coping purposes, which has not yet been experimentally tested, as well as exploring factors that may moderate this effect (e.g., social anxiety and inhibitory control). A second avenue is investigating whether cannabis use actually mitigates stress. A third avenue is exploring the biological role of the endocannabinoid system as a mechanism by which cannabis use may relate to acute stress reduction as well as the role of cannabinoid content in this process. Specifically, research shows that the endocannabinoid, arachidonoyl ethanolamide (AEA), is negatively associated with anxiety and stress such that it may mediate the relationship between cannabis use and stress reduction. Because the two main cannabis constituents, 9-delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), are associated with disparate effects on AEA, they may differentially influence how cannabis use relates to stress. In particular, CBD may actually decrease stress compared to THC via greater effects on AEA production. This study proposes to examine these research questions with four aims. The first will experimentally test a causal relationship between cannabis use for coping purposes and quantity of cannabis use (i.e., if more cannabis is used after stress induction compared to a control condition among individuals who endorse cannabis use for coping purposes). The second will test if the relationship between stress and cannabis use is stronger for individuals with social anxiety and/or poorer inhibitory control. The third will test if cannabis use after stress is related to decreases in subjective and objective stress. The fourth will ask whether decreases in stress are mediated via increased AEA, and if this indirect relationship is stronger with greater CBD to THC product ratios. Knowledge gained from this study will have significant public health impact including aiding in intervention and prevention efforts for cannabis misuse and contributing data on the harm reduction potential of CBD.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } } ], "meta": { "pagination": { "page": 1384, "pages": 1392, "count": 13920 } } }