Grant List
Represents Grant table in the DB
GET /v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=5&sort=-program_officials
{ "links": { "first": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1&sort=-program_officials", "last": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1442&sort=-program_officials", "next": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=6&sort=-program_officials", "prev": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=4&sort=-program_officials" }, "data": [ { "type": "Grant", "id": "16078", "attributes": { "award_id": "1R01AI201635-01", "title": "Using albumin-hitchhiking intranasal vaccines to enhance immune protection against infectious disease", "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": 44528, "first_name": "AARON MICHAEL", "last_name": "JOFFE", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2026-07-23", "end_date": "2031-06-30", "award_amount": 687661, "principal_investigator": { "id": 44557, "first_name": "Brittany L", "last_name": "Hartwell", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 3492, "ror": "", "name": "UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "MN", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "To combat the global HIV epidemic as well as persisting threats such as SARS-CoV-2, immunization strategies are needed that elicit protection at mucosal portals of pathogen entry. However, traditional parenteral vaccines that are injected typically elicit poor mucosal immunity. While vaccination at mucosal surfaces is known to be an effective strategy to activate protective mucosal immunity, delivery of vaccine components across mucosal barriers has been a major challenge for mucosal vaccine development. Development of technologies to overcome barriers to mucosal delivery while meeting safety and efficacy requirements of prophylactic vaccines remains an urgent unmet need. While mucosal barriers are very good at keeping most vaccine components ‘out’, the endogenous protein albumin is known to be very good at getting ‘in’. Albumin, a major blood protein also present in mucosal fluids, is constitutively transcytosed across mucosal epithelium through interactions with the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) while functioning in vivo as a fatty acid transporter. Exploiting this biology, we recently developed a novel immunoengineering strategy of ‘albumin hitchhiking’ to promote mucosal immunity using an intranasal vaccine consisting of protein immunogens conjugated to an albumin-binding polymer-lipid tail, forming ‘amph-proteins’. Amph-proteins exhibit enhanced FcRn-dependent uptake into nasal mucosal tissue, leading to enhanced local immune responses in the nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) and robust long-lasting systemic and mucosal humoral responses in tandem. These results suggest that employing amph- vaccines to deliver antigen (Ag) and adjuvant across mucosal epithelium is a promising strategy to promote mucosal immunity against infectious diseases. Motivated by these findings, here we propose to further develop the amph-vaccine platform for mucosal delivery of a range of immune cargo (antigens and adjuvants) while identifying molecular and cellular mechanisms of action, immune correlates of protection, and the role of vaccine dosing and kinetics in mucosal associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) for promoting functional protective immunity in translational mouse models through the following aims. Aim 1: Identify molecular properties and kinetic mechanisms of intranasal amphiphile-antigen vaccines that drive mucosal humoral immune activation. Aim 2: Evaluate immunogenicity, adjuvanticity, and toxicity of intranasal amphiphile-antigen/adjuvant vaccines in a ‘dirty’ mouse model. Aim 3: Define mucosal vaccine kinetics that drive functional immune protection by evaluating efficacy of intranasal amph-vaccines in challenge models of SARS-CoV-2. Our central hypothesis is that i.n. amph-vaccines that exhibit enhanced mucosal uptake and persistence in NALT will better prime functional protective immunity against respiratory pathogens (demonstrated across multiple mouse models) by activating robust GC responses in NALT, generating a mucosal antibody response of greater magnitude, affinity, and breadth than soluble or parenteral controls.", "keywords": [ "2019-nCoV", "Adjuvant", "Adjuvanticity", "Affinity", "Albumins", "Antibody Response", "Antibody titer measurement", "Antigens", "Behavior", "Binding", "Biological Models", "Biology", "Blood Proteins", "Communicable Diseases", "Dose", "Drug Delivery Systems", "Epithelium", "Exhibits", "Fatty Acids", "Fc Receptor", "Future", "Genitourinary system", "Goals", "HIV", "HIV epidemic", "Immune", "Immune response", "Immune system", "Immunity", "Immunization", "Immunoglobulin A", "Immunoglobulin G", "Influenza", "K-18 conjugate", "Kinetics", "Licensure", "Lipids", "Liquid substance", "Lymphoid Tissue", "Modeling", "Molecular", "Molecular Conformation", "Mucosal Immunity", "Mucous Membrane", "Mus", "Nose", "Paper", "Polymers", "Preventive vaccine", "Property", "Proteins", "Respiratory System", "Role", "SARS-CoV-2 transmission", "Safety", "Serum", "Serum Proteins", "Site", "Structure of germinal center of lymph node", "Structure of mucous membrane of nose", "Subunit Vaccines", "Surface", "Tail", "Tissues", "Topical application", "Toxic effect", "Translational Research", "Translations", "Vaccination", "Vaccine Antigen", "Vaccines", "Variant", "Viral", "Wild Type Mouse", "amphiphilicity", "clinically relevant", "combat", "design", "efficacy evaluation", "germ free condition", "immune activation", "immunoengineering", "immunogen", "immunogenicity", "improved", "in vivo", "innovation", "insight", "meetings", "microbial", "mouse model", "mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue", "mucosal uptake", "mucosal vaccination", "mucosal vaccine", "neonatal Fc receptor", "nonhuman primate", "novel", "pathogen", "respiratory", "respiratory pathogen", "response", "spatiotemporal", "technology development", "tool", "trafficking", "translational medicine", "transmission process", "uptake", "vaccination strategy", "vaccine acceptance", "vaccine delivery", "vaccine development", "vaccine platform" ], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "16107", "attributes": { "award_id": "1R21AI193250-01A1", "title": "Discovery of Cell Intrinsic Immunologic Adjuvants for Improving Self Amplifying RNA Vaccines Against Infectious Diseases", "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": 44528, "first_name": "AARON MICHAEL", "last_name": "JOFFE", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2026-06-12", "end_date": "2028-05-31", "award_amount": 251938, "principal_investigator": { "id": 44584, "first_name": "Priti", "last_name": "Kumar", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [ { "id": 44585, "first_name": "Oscar J", "last_name": "Murillo Gomez", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "awardee_organization": { "id": 3508, "ror": "", "name": "YALE UNIVERSITY", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CT", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated both the potential and limitations of mRNA-based vaccines. While very effective, current mRNA-LNP vaccines face challenges including significant reactogenicity, high dose requirements, and limited durability of immune responses. To address these shortcomings, many in the field are utilizing the unique ability of nucleic acid vaccines to express soluble mediators of adaptive immunity such as chemokines and cytokines as molecularly encoded adjuvants. While effective in preclinical models, cytokines as molecular therapies have struggled with notable toxicity and off target effects in human clinical trials. Here we propose an innovative solution which aims to enhance next-generation nucleic acid vaccines by investigating novel cell-intrinsic immunomodulators as molecular adjuvants. Our preliminary data supports this hypothesis, and the feasibility of this approach showing that self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) mediated co- expression of vaccine antigens with cell-intrinsic immunomodulator, from a single RNA molecule, results in enhanced neutralizing antibody potency and durability, and protection against viral challenge. We hypothesize that this will avoid the toxicities associated with molecularly encoded adjuvants such as cytokines, while improving the vaccine induced adaptive immune response at a significantly lower dose. The two specific aims of this proposal focus on assessing co-expression model antigens of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Influenza A virus H5N1 Hemagglutinin with key molecules involved in DC licensing and trafficking (CD40, CD80, CCR7, and T- bet.), either (Aim 1) delivered as a LNP-saRNAantigen/imod on a single molecule or (Aim 2) co-formulated as LNP-(mRNAantigen+mRNAimod). Antibody potency, breadth, and durability will be assessed and will safety and reactogenicity. We believe that this proposal has the potential to revolutionize vaccinology through our innovative approach of harnessing cell intrinsic immunomodulators targeting DC function and development as molecular vaccine adjuvants. Our strategy aims to enhance vaccine performance while reducing doses and reactogenicity, potentially addressing key limitations of current mRNA vaccines. Success will lead to more effective and better-tolerated vaccines for emerging infectious diseases, and pandemic preparedness. Results will advance our understanding of molecular adjuvants and may establish a new platform for next-generation nucleic acid vaccines with broader applications in infectious disease prevention.", "keywords": [ "Address", "Adjuvant", "Alpha Virus", "Antibodies", "Antibody Response", "Antibody titer measurement", "Antibody-mediated protection", "Antigens", "Biology", "CD40 Antigens", "CD80 gene", "COVID-19 pandemic", "Cell Line", "Cell Physiology", "Cells", "Cellular biology", "Clinical", "Clinical Trials", "Communicable Diseases", "Data", "Dendritic Cells", "Dendritic cell activation", "Development", "Disease", "Dose", "Emerging Communicable Diseases", "Ensure", "Face", "Formulation", "Future", "Generations", "Genes", "Goals", "Hemagglutinin", "Human", "Immune response", "Immunity", "Immunologic Adjuvants", "Immunology", "Immunomodulators", "Influenza A Virus H5N1 Subtype", "Influenza A virus", "Japan", "Licensing", "Longevity", "Mediating", "Mediator", "Messenger RNA", "Modeling", "Molecular", "Molecular Vaccines", "Mus", "Nucleic Acid Vaccines", "Nucleic Acids", "Pathway interactions", "Performance", "Positioning Attribute", "Pre-Clinical Model", "Productivity", "RNA", "RNA amplification", "RNA vaccine", "Replicon", "Research", "SARS-CoV-2 antigen", "SARS-CoV-2 spike protein", "Safety", "Self Assessment", "Site", "T-Lymphocyte", "TNFRSF5 gene", "Technology", "Testing", "Toxic effect", "Transcript", "Vaccination", "Vaccine Adjuvant", "Vaccine Antigen", "Vaccines", "Viral", "adaptive immune response", "adaptive immunity", "cell type", "chemokine", "cytokine", "disorder prevention", "dosage", "experimental study", "flexibility", "frontier", "future pandemic", "immunogenicity", "improved", "in vivo", "innovation", "lipid nanoparticle", "mRNA lipid nano particle vaccine", "neutralizing antibody", "next generation", "novel", "novel strategies", "novel vaccines", "pandemic preparedness", "pandemic virus", "pathogen", "preclinical study", "response", "side effect", "single molecule", "success", "trafficking", "vaccine immunogenicity", "vaccine response", "vaccine safety", "vaccinology", "virology" ], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "16057", "attributes": { "award_id": "1G13LM014704-01A1", "title": "Fair Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources in an Unfair World", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Library of Medicine (NLM)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 44526, "first_name": "ALI", "last_name": "SHARMA", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2026-08-01", "end_date": "2028-07-31", "award_amount": 100002, "principal_investigator": { "id": 44527, "first_name": "Govind", "last_name": "Persad", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 3471, "ror": "", "name": "UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CO", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "This proposal will fund the first comprehensive, book-length bioethical analysis of allocating scarce medical resources. Historically, allocation challenges arose at the advent of penicillin, dialysis, and organ transplantation. During the 2000s, allocation frameworks were developed for pandemic influenza countermeasures, including vaccines and ventilators, in the event of a pandemic. More recently, allocation frameworks have been proposed or deployed for the allocation of various COVID-19 countermeasures and treatments, including vaccines, therapies, and intensive care bed space. Such frameworks have also been deployed for the allocation of other resources in limited supply, such as mpox countermeasures, RSV countermeasures, and scarce medicines such as chemotherapeutics and novel GLP-1 inhibitors. The study defines four core ethical goals for allocation: benefiting people and preventing harm; mitigating disadvantage; equal concern; and reciprocity. It then analyzes the ethical, legal, and policy dimensions of metrics, such as lives saved or years of life lost, used by policymakers to assess resource allocation frameworks. Likewise, it analyzes ethical, legal, and policy dimensions of considering various characteristics, such as age, health status, race, and sex, as proxies for expected outcomes. Last, it considers how ethical objectives can be combined into an allocation framework and explains how such a framework can be operationalized and effectively implemented. This work will be of academic value to medical and public health professionals, policymakers, and biomedical researchers (including scholars in bioethics, health law and policy) because medical innovations and medical crises will continue to prompt the need to fairly distribute scarce medical resources. This project will help improve the ethical justification, design, legality, and implementation of such frameworks, enabling them to more effectively mitigate the harms of scarcity while addressing health disadvantage. It will also advance public health by helping public health officials to navigate tradeoffs and avoid ethical and legal pitfalls as they design, operationalize, and implement frameworks for allocating scarce medical resources.", "keywords": [ "Address", "Age", "Algorithms", "Anti-Obesity Agents", "Award", "Beds", "Beneficence", "Bioethics", "Black Box", "Blood Transfusion", "Books", "COVID-19", "COVID-19 vaccine", "Categories", "Cessation of life", "Characteristics", "Clinics and Hospitals", "Contracts", "Data", "Dialysis procedure", "Dimensions", "Disadvantaged", "Disasters", "Disparity population", "Ensure", "Ethics", "Evaluation", "Event", "Face", "Funding", "Goals", "Health", "Health Professional", "Health Status", "Individual", "Intensive Care", "Intervention", "Laws", "Learning", "Legal", "Length", "Life Expectancy", "Litigation", "Lobbying", "Machine Learning", "Measures", "Medical", "Medicine", "Monkeypox", "Morals", "Occupations", "Organ Transplantation", "Outcome", "Oxygen", "Penicillins", "Persons", "Pharmaceutical Preparations", "Philosophy", "Policies", "Policy Maker", "Positioning Attribute", "Prevention", "Province", "Proxy", "Public Health", "Public Participation", "Race", "Reduce health disparities", "Research Personnel", "Resource Allocation", "Resources", "Rights", "Role", "Secure", "Stigmatization", "System", "Therapeutic", "Vaccines", "Ventilator", "Work", "clinician-facing", "design", "glucagon-like peptide 1", "hospital bed", "hospital care", "implementation barriers", "improved", "inhibitor", "innovation", "novel", "old age", "pandemic disease", "pandemic influenza", "prevent", "response", "sex", "success", "usability", "years of life lost" ], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "16052", "attributes": { "award_id": "1R15HL188995-01", "title": "The Role of the Endothelial Glycocalyx in Sepsis-Induced Coagulation", "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": 44521, "first_name": "DEBORAH", "last_name": "PHILP", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2026-08-15", "end_date": "2029-04-30", "award_amount": 532935, "principal_investigator": { "id": 44522, "first_name": "Solomon", "last_name": "Mensah", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 3468, "ror": "", "name": "WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "MA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Sepsis-Associated Coagulopathy (SAC) is a symptom of sepsis that can cause uncontrolled thrombosis, large vessel occlusion, and stroke. SAC has resistance to traditional anticoagulation therapies, and there is an urgent need to understand how sepsis causes coagulopathy so that new therapies can be developed. It is known that sepsis causes damage to endothelial cells that line blood vessels and to the protective layer of glycocalyx that surrounds these cells. Further, patients with severe SAC have a high concentration of the pro-coagulation molecule von Willebrand factor (VWF) in their blood. We hypothesize that the endothelial glycocalyx is damaged by direct endotoxin infection of endothelial cells and by the “cytokine storm” of proinflammatory molecules released from other cell types. We further hypothesize that, when the endothelial glycocalyx is damaged, the transmembrane molecule P-selectin is no longer able to tether VWF to the cell membrane, so VWF is released into the bloodstream to recruit platelets and cause blood clots. We will test these hypotheses using three Specific Aims. In Specific Aim 1, we will define the molecular damage to the glycocalyx caused by direct endotoxin infection of endothelial cells and indirect damage from proinflammatory cytokines. In Specific Aim 2, we will determine which molecules within the glycocalyx cooperate with P-selectin to tether VWF to the endothelial membrane. In Specific Aim 3, we will test whether we can reduce symptoms of SAC in cell culture models by regenerating the glycocalyx using a protocol we have already developed, or by using a modified protocol that incorporates knowledge gained from Specific Aims 1 and 2. Our laboratory has expertise in studying the endothelial glycocalyx in vitro (human cells grown in a custom-made device to model the lung vasculature) and in vivo (mouse models), and we have recruited collaborators and advisers with expertise in all other disciplines required to fulfill our proposed objectives. At the end of this project, we will have elucidated the role of the endothelial glycocalyx in sepsis-induced vascular pathologies and tested a prophylactic measure to reduce SAC damage to the vascular endothelium. This work is likely to offer a strong scientific framework whereby new therapeutic strategies can be developed for sepsis patients, and it will have a lasting positive impact by demonstrating the usefulness of new physiologically relevant model systems. These studies will improve our ability to study sepsis in the future and, potentially, also improve our ability to study other diseases with the same clinical presentation as sepsis such as COVID-19-Associated Coaugulation.", "keywords": [ "ADAMTS", "Address", "Anticoagulation", "Atomic Force Microscopy", "Attenuated", "Binding", "Biological Models", "Biology", "Biomedical Engineering", "Blood", "Blood Circulation", "Blood Coagulation Disorders", "Blood Platelets", "Blood Vessels", "Blood coagulation", "COVID-19", "Cell Culture Techniques", "Cell Line", "Cell membrane", "Cells", "Circulation", "Clinical", "Coagulation Process", "Communication", "Complication", "Custom", "Cytokine Signaling", "Devices", "Discipline", "Disease", "Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation", "Education", "Endothelial Cells", "Endothelium", "Endotoxins", "Environment", "Equilibrium", "Event", "Functional disorder", "Future", "Glycocalyx", "Human", "In Vitro", "Infection", "Inflammatory", "Inflammatory Response", "Injury", "Ischemia", "Knowledge", "Laboratories", "Left", "Life", "Link", "Lung", "Measures", "Mediating", "Membrane", "Metalloproteases", "Modeling", "Molecular", "Natural regeneration", "Outcome", "P-Selectin", "Pathogenesis", "Pathologic", "Pathology", "Patients", "Physiological", "Platelet Activation", "Platelet aggregation", "Process", "Protocols documentation", "Research", "Resistance", "Role", "Science", "Sepsis", "Signal Transduction", "Stroke", "Structure", "Students", "Surface", "Symptoms", "Systemic infection", "Techniques", "Testing", "Therapeutic", "Thrombosis", "Thrombus", "Tissues", "Training", "Vascular Endothelial Cell", "Vascular Endothelium", "Work", "blood vessel occlusion", "cell type", "cytokine", "cytokine release syndrome", "design", "endothelial dysfunction", "improved", "in vitro Model", "in vivo", "innovation", "mechanical force", "mouse model", "multidisciplinary", "next generation", "novel therapeutic intervention", "novel therapeutics", "paracrine", "prevent", "prophylactic", "recruit", "reduce symptoms", "regeneration model", "septic patients", "severe sepsis", "shear stress", "systemic inflammatory response", "systems research", "thrombotic", "undergraduate student", "von Willebrand Factor" ], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "16048", "attributes": { "award_id": "1R13AG105073-01", "title": "17th International Workshop on Aging & HIV", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Institute on Aging (NIA)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 44517, "first_name": "STACY", "last_name": "CARRINGTON-LAWRENCE", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2026-08-15", "end_date": "2027-07-31", "award_amount": 48160, "principal_investigator": { "id": 12249, "first_name": "Joseph B.", "last_name": "Margolick", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 3464, "ror": "", "name": "JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "MD", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Due to the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PLWH) now have life expectancies similar to those of people without HIV (PWoH). As PLWH live to older ages, they become susceptible to numerous aging-related diseases, and there is abundant evidence that these occur at earlier ages (chronologically) than in the general population or in demographically similar PwoH. This earlier occurrence has posed a major challenge to the clinical care of PLWH- both in knowing what the optimal care is, and in delivering it. These are major problems worldwide, but especially in resource-limited settings. While large meetings are important venues for scientific exchange regarding the latest knowledge on the care of PLWH as they age, there is a compelling need for smaller meetings that facilitate the personal discussions, learning, and networking that are critical to effective dissemination of advances and to the career development of early-stage investigators in the field of HIV and aging. Since 2010, the International Workshop on Aging & HIV has addressed this important need annually, bringing together 140-200 international delegates to discuss the latest findings and controversies in the biology of aging as it is affected by HIV and in methods for incorporating these into the delivery of clinical care to often challenging populations. The Workshop has traditionally been held in one site over two days (although a 3- day virtual format was used in 2021 and 2022 because of COVID-19, and a hybrid format has been used since 2023), with expert plenary speakers either from pertinent areas outside of HIV research or performing research or care on PLWH, and oral and poster presentations based on submitted abstracts. Also included are interactive panel discussions with audience involvement; short talks dealing with topical issues in these areas, guided tours of related posters, and sessions specifically devoted to mentoring young investigators. Researchers receive ample feedback and evaluation on their work. This R13 application proposes the following aims to enhance the 17th International Workshop on Aging & HIV, which will be held in hybrid format on Oct. 15- 16, 2026 in a site that is still being determined: 1) To provide scholarships to trainees and investigators who need financial support to attend the Workshop, especially those from resource-limited settings; and 2) To provide support for experts who need financial support to give plenary lectures at the Workshop. Funding of this application will greatly enhance the reach of the attendance at the Workshop, which in turn will facilitate dissemination of expertise and experience globally and translation of research findings into clinical strategies that can improve the lifespan and healthspan of PLWH everywhere now and for years to come.", "keywords": [ "Address", "Adopted", "Advocate", "Affect", "Age", "Aging", "Area", "Biology of Aging", "COVID-19", "COVID-19 pandemic", "Cardiovascular Diseases", "Caring", "Cause of Death", "Chronic Disease", "Chronology", "Clinical", "Collaborations", "Complex", "Discipline", "Disease", "Educational workshop", "Elderly", "Evaluation", "Face", "Feedback", "Financial Support", "Fostering", "Funding", "Future", "General Population", "Geriatrics", "Goals", "HIV", "HIV Care", "HIV Infections", "HIV research", "Health", "Health Personnel", "Hybrids", "Impaired cognition", "Industrialization", "International", "Knowledge", "Learning", "Life Expectancy", "Liver diseases", "Long-Term Care for Elderly", "Malignant Neoplasms", "Medical", "Mentors", "Methods", "Mission", "Modeling", "Older Population", "Oral", "Penetration", "Persons", "Policy Maker", "Population", "Predisposition", "Research", "Research Personnel", "Resource-limited setting", "Resources", "Scholarship", "Site", "Source", "Specialist", "Stroke", "Syndrome", "System", "Training", "Training and Education", "Translational Research", "Work", "aging process", "aging related", "aging related disease", "aging with HIV", "antiretroviral therapy", "career", "career development", "clinical care", "comorbidity", "cost effective", "experience", "extend lifespan", "forging", "frailty", "health care delivery", "healthspan", "improved", "investigator training", "lectures", "life span", "low and middle-income countries", "meetings", "old age", "peer", "people living with HIV", "posters", "prospective", "social", "social disparities", "success", "virtual" ], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "16045", "attributes": { "award_id": "1R43CA310454-01A1", "title": "Study of CB-101: A Novel First-in-Class Trispecific Antibody Targeting ROR1, EpCAM, and CD3 for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer and Other 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": 44513, "first_name": "WILLIAM PATRICK", "last_name": "BOZZA", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2026-08-13", "end_date": "2027-07-31", "award_amount": 400000, "principal_investigator": { "id": 44514, "first_name": "Xiaoyan", "last_name": "Li", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 3461, "ror": "", "name": "XTOP BIOTHERAPEUTICS INC.", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "MA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "/ ABSTRACT Currently approved T-cell engagers (TCEs) have revolutionized cancer therapy. However, the success of traditional TCEs in treating solid tumors has been limited, primarily due to on-target, off-tumor toxicity caused by tumor-associated antigen (TAA) expression in healthy tissues, and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) resulting from broad systemic T-cell activation. To mitigate these risks, conditional active TCEs (such as those relying on masking or pH-dependency) have been engineered to modulate T-cell or TAA binding. Despite early promising clinical data, none of these conditional active TCEs have been approved for clinical use. The improvement of the therapeutic window via conditional activation is limited by factors such as narrow pH difference for pH-dependent TCEs, as well as limitations in mask efficiency, stability, protease specificity, and cleavage efficiency for masking TCEs. In contrast to traditional antibodies or conditionally activated antibodies that modulate T-cell or TAA binding through stimulus-driven activation, TCEs engineered with our proprietary CrossBody platform demonstrate exceptionally enhanced therapeutic indices without requiring antibody modification or external stimuli. Utilizing this innovative technology, CB-101 was designed to include a Fab fragment targeting receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) and innovative CrossBody fragments (not Fab, ScFV or VHH) targeting epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and CD3. The CrossBody fragments are designed to conceal (distinct from masking or caging) the binding of CD3 and EpCAM in normal tissues, thereby reducing the risks of CRS and off-target effects. In human HT29 and MKN45 cell line-derived xenograft models, CB-101 (ROR1xEpCAMxCD3) has shown complete tumor remission along with an excellent safety profile in the EpCAM/CD3 humanized mouse model. This proposal aims to conduct comprehensive IND- enabling in vitro pharmacology and in vivo efficacy studies for CB-101 in multiple relevant disease models (Aim 1). We will also explore the toxicity of CB-101 in mice and determine the maximum tolerated dose (Aim 2). Collectively, the successful execution of this proposal will enable us to initiate IND-enabling mice and cynomolgus monkey toxicology studies as well as antibody CMC development as part of a follow-up phase II SBIR proposal. Ultimately, CB-101, a more effective and less toxic first-in-class trispecific antibody, will offer a new treatment option for patients resistant to colorectal cancer or other solid tumors. The successful development of CB-101 will serve as a blueprint for constructing multispecific antibodies, transforming cancer treatment. Mus musculus (mouse) models, including PBMC-engrafted NSG mice and humanized EpCAM/CD3 mice, enable assessment of the preclinical efficacy and safety of CB-101 due to their ability to model human immune responses and target engagement.", "keywords": [ "Antibodies", "Antigens", "Binding", "Biological Assay", "CD3 Antigens", "Cancer Etiology", "Cell Adhesion Molecules", "Cell Line", "Cessation of life", "Clinical", "Clinical Data", "Colorectal Cancer", "Data", "Dependence", "Development", "Disease", "Disease remission", "Dose", "Engineering", "Engraftment", "Epithelial Cells", "Fab Immunoglobulins", "Goals", "HT29 Cells", "House mice", "Human", "IgG1", "Immune Targeting", "Immune response", "Immunotherapy", "In Vitro", "Individual", "Light", "Macaca fascicularis", "Malignant Neoplasms", "Masks", "Maximum Tolerated Dose", "Modeling", "Modification", "Multi-Drug Resistance", "Mus", "Normal tissue morphology", "Operative Surgical Procedures", "Patient-Focused Outcomes", "Patients", "Peptide Hydrolases", "Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell", "Pharmacology", "Phase", "Prognosis", "ROR1 gene", "Reagent", "Regimen", "Resistance", "Risk", "Safety", "Small Business Innovation Research Grant", "Solid Neoplasm", "Specificity", "Stimulus", "T-Cell Activation", "T-Cell Development", "T-Lymphocyte", "Technology", "Therapeutic", "Therapeutic Index", "Tissues", "Toxic effect", "Toxicology", "Tumor Antigens", "Vertebral column", "Work", "Xenograft Model", "adhesion receptor", "advanced disease", "antigen binding", "cancer therapy", "chemotherapy", "colon cancer cell line", "colon cancer patients", "colorectal cancer treatment", "cytokine", "cytokine release syndrome", "cytotoxicity", "design", "disease model", "effective therapy", "efficacy evaluation", "efficacy study", "follow-up", "human model", "humanized mouse", "improved", "improved outcome", "in vivo", "innovation", "innovative technologies", "intermolecular interaction", "mouse model", "nanobodies", "neoplastic cell", "novel", "pre-clinical assessment", "preclinical development", "receptor", "reconstitution", "relapse patients", "risk mitigation", "safety assessment", "safety study", "success", "targeted treatment", "therapeutic target", "tumor", "tumor specificity" ], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "16043", "attributes": { "award_id": "1K23AI197092-01A1", "title": "Defining the Scope and Consequences of Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis in Hospitalized Patients", "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": 44511, "first_name": "RYAN", "last_name": "RANALLO", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2026-08-03", "end_date": "2031-07-31", "award_amount": 185760, "principal_investigator": { "id": 44512, "first_name": "Christopher", "last_name": "Lehmann", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 3459, "ror": "", "name": "UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "IL", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "This K23 proposal outlines a 5-year research and training plan that will accelerate Dr. Christopher Lehmann’s career as an independent physician-scientist with expertise in the gut microbiome and AR infections. Dr. Lehmann is a practicing infectious disease physician whose translational research is focused on identifying associations between the gut microbiome and clinical outcomes. He has demonstrated that antibiotics kill beneficial members of the gut microbiome, lower the production of beneficial metabolites, and permit the expansion of AR pathogens that, in turn, cause invasive infection. His collaborative work has demonstrated that dysbiosis is associated with disease progression and death in COVID-19, cirrhosis, and heart transplant Other groups have shown similar results in additional defined populations. Despite these strong links, the populations studied are select and account for only a fraction of patients at risk for gut microbial dysbiosis and AR infection. In this proposal, Dr. Lehmann will test the hypothesis that dysbiosis occurs broadly in hospitalized patients and is associated with AR infections and other morbidities. In Aim 1, he will (1) enroll 500 patients admitted to a general acute care hospital floor, (2) serially collect and sequence the stool microbiomes of those patients, and (3) determine the microbiome composition of hospitalized patients. In Aim 2, he will interrogate the microbiome’s function by determining the prevalence and degree of beneficial metabolite depletion. Finally, in Aim 3, he will identify the consequences of dysbiosis on patients by comparing the microbiome and metabolome to post discharge outcomes and AR infection. To accomplish these goals, Dr. Lehmann has designed a training plan that builds on his clinical skills and research background with focused training in bioinformatics, biostatistics, and epidemiology. Dr. Lehmann’s research will be overseen by dedicated mentors from University of Chicago with expertise in translational research, microbial genomics, microbial metabolomics, bioinformatics, biostatistics, and hospital epidemiology. Additionally, this project will leverage extensive data and sample collection supported by the Duchossois Family Institute and led by Dr. Lehmann’s primary mentors Dr. Eric Pamer and Dr. Erika Claud. This integrated training and mentorship plan will support him in his discovery of the interactions between the microbiome and infectious disease. Facilitated by this award, Dr. Lehmann will develop into an independent physician-scientist poised to advance understanding in the field of the microbiome, antimicrobial resistance, and human health.", "keywords": [ "Acceleration", "Accounting", "Advisory Committees", "Antibiotics", "Antimicrobial Resistance", "Award", "Bacteroidaceae", "Bile Acids", "Bioinformatics", "Biometry", "Bypass", "COVID-19 mortality", "Cessation of life", "Chicago", "Cirrhosis", "Clinical", "Clinical Data", "Clinical Investigator", "Clinical Research", "Clinical Skills", "Clostridium difficile", "Communicable Diseases", "Complex", "Coupled", "Data Collection", "Dedications", "Disease Progression", "Enrollment", "Epidemiology", "Family", "Feces", "Floor", "Fostering", "Frequencies", "Genes", "Goals", "Health", "Heart Transplantation", "Hospitalization", "Hospitals", "Human", "Impairment", "Infection", "Injury", "Inpatients", "K-Series Research Career Programs", "Knowledge", "Link", "Liver diseases", "Malignant Neoplasms", "Measurement", "Measures", "Mentors", "Mentorship", "Metabolic Pathway", "Morbidity", "Outcome", "Patient Admission", "Patient Care", "Patient-Focused Outcomes", "Patients", "Pattern", "Physicians", "Population", "Population Study", "Populations at Risk", "Prevalence", "Production", "Research", "Risk", "Scientist", "Taxonomy", "Testing", "Training", "Translational Research", "Tryptophan", "Universities", "Vancomycin resistant enterococcus", "Volatile Fatty Acids", "Work", "acute care", "antimicrobial resistant infection", "antimicrobial resistant pathogen", "carbapenem resistant Enterobacterales", "career", "career development", "clinically actionable", "combat", "design", "dysbiosis", "experience", "fecal microbiome", "gut microbiome", "hospital care", "hospital patient care", "hospital readmission", "immune function", "improved", "improved outcome", "individual patient", "insight", "knowledge base", "member", "metabolome", "metabolomics", "metagenomic sequencing", "microbial", "microbial genomics", "microbiome", "microbiome composition", "microbiome therapeutics", "mortality", "participant enrollment", "pathogen", "preservation", "prospective", "restoration", "sample collection", "skills" ], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "16041", "attributes": { "award_id": "1DP2AI201017-01", "title": "An aberrant wound healing response drives myeloid-dependent disease exacerbation", "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": 44508, "first_name": "SUSANA", "last_name": "MENDEZ", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2026-08-01", "end_date": "2031-07-31", "award_amount": 466500, "principal_investigator": { "id": 44509, "first_name": "Dmitri I", "last_name": "Kotov", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 3457, "ror": "", "name": "WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "MO", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the leading cause of death from a single pathogen. However, the only approved vaccine has little to no efficacy in adults despite generating a robust T cell response. While T cells are essential for controlling Mtb infection, decades of modern vaccine development focusing on promoting T cell responses have failed to produce a new efficacious vaccine. This history suggests that while a T cell response is essential for Mtb control, it is not sufficient. I observed that the newly identified Spp1+ macrophage fate was present in the lungs of three Mtb-susceptible mouse strains but not Mtb-restrictive mice following infection. Spp1+ macrophages reside in Mtb-infected human lungs, and SPP1 levels strongly correlate with disease severity. These data suggest that Spp1+ macrophages exacerbate Mtb infection. Thus, inhibiting Spp1+ macrophage differentiation is critical for efficient Mtb control, and may explain the failure of existing T cell-focused vaccine strategies. Beyond Mtb infection, Spp1+ macrophage differentiation also correlates with poor outcomes in patients with various cancers, severe COVID-19, and active rheumatoid arthritis. I hypothesize that Spp1+ macrophages arise in response to strong, chronic inflammation and then drive an aberrant wound healing response that limits productive responses against the initial insult (e.g. bacterial infection or tumor). As Spp1+ macrophages have primarily been observed in humans, their biology is largely unknown. In this proposal, we will leverage our existing single cell RNA-sequencing datasets of Mtb-infected lungs and generate new spatial transcriptomic profiling of human and mouse Mtb-infected lungs to identify candidate drivers of Spp1+ macrophage differentiation. These drivers will then be validated with a cutting-edge in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 screening approach and confirmed with mouse genetics, as well as in a human immune system using humanized mice. We will then, for the first time, demonstrate that Spp1+ macrophages exacerbate Mtb infection and head and neck cancer using a novel Spp1+ macrophage-depleting mouse. A unique Spp1+ macrophage-specific gene deletion mouse model will be used to define the mechanisms by which these cells exacerbate disease. Thus, the proposed studies will define fundamental aspects of Spp1+ macrophage biology, which is essential for developing host-directed therapies for chronic inflammatory conditions, including bacterial infections and cancer.", "keywords": [ "Address", "Adult", "Autoimmunity", "Bacterial Infections", "Biology", "CRISPR screen", "Candidate Disease Gene", "Cause of Death", "Cell Differentiation process", "Cell Physiology", "Cells", "Cessation of life", "Comparative Study", "Complement", "Cues", "Data", "Data Set", "Disease", "Disease Progression", "Disparate", "Exhibits", "Failure", "Gene Deletion", "Genes", "Genetic Transcription", "Goals", "Head and Neck Cancer", "Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma", "Human", "Human Genetics", "Immune", "Immune response", "Immune system", "Immunosuppression", "Infection", "Infectious Agent", "Inflammation", "Inflammatory", "Interferon Type I", "Intrinsic factor", "Lesion", "Lung", "Macrophage", "Malignant Neoplasms", "Modeling", "Modernization", "Mouse Strains", "Mus", "Mycobacterium tuberculosis", "Myelogenous", "Myeloid Cells", "Outcome", "Pathway interactions", "Patients", "Population", "Predisposition", "Process", "Productivity", "Recording of previous events", "Rheumatoid Arthritis", "Role", "Severity of illness", "Signal Pathway", "Source", "T cell response", "T-Lymphocyte", "Therapeutic", "Time", "Tuberculosis", "Vaccines", "Viral", "candidate identification", "chronic inflammation", "chronic inflammatory disease", "experimental study", "genetic manipulation", "human disease", "humanized mouse", "in vivo", "inflammatory milieu", "inhibitor", "interleukin-18 binding protein", "mouse genetics", "mouse model", "new therapeutic target", "novel", "pathogen", "response", "severe COVID-19", "single-cell RNA sequencing", "spatial transcriptomics", "tissue repair", "transcription factor", "transcriptomic profiling", "tumor", "tumor progression", "vaccine access", "vaccine development", "vaccine strategy", "wound healing" ], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "16046", "attributes": { "award_id": "1F31AI194952-01A1", "title": "Effect of wildfire smoke exposure on the development of tuberculosis and mortality due to COVID-19", "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": 44508, "first_name": "SUSANA", "last_name": "MENDEZ", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2026-08-10", "end_date": "2029-08-09", "award_amount": 53114, "principal_investigator": { "id": 44515, "first_name": "Lauren", "last_name": "Linde", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 3462, "ror": "", "name": "BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "MA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Wildfires are currently growing in size, frequency, and severity in many places globally. Consequently, increasingly large populations are being exposed to high concentrations of air pollution from wildfire smoke. Wildfire smoke exposure has been linked to numerous adverse health outcomes, particularly non-communicable pulmonary conditions. There is growing evidence that pollutants present in wildfire smoke are also associated with human immune cell changes that increase susceptibility to infection with both viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens. However, relatively few studies have directly examined the relationship between wildfire smoke exposure and infectious respiratory diseases. Given the enormous, overlapping populations affected by both wildfire smoke and infectious respiratory diseases, better understanding the relationship between these phenomena may have important health consequences. The aim of the proposed research is to use large, individual-level data sources to establish robust evidence on the impact of wildfire smoke exposure for two leading infectious respiratory diseases that each impact millions of people globally each year, tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19. Aim 1 uses a surveillance dataset of every case of and death due to COVID-19 in six western US States over a two-year period to assess whether exposure to wildfire smoke close in time to infection with COVID-19 is associated with increased mortality risk. Aims 2 and 3 investigate the relationship between wildfire smoke exposure and TB. Aim 2 uses a detailed dataset of close contacts to individuals with TB in Los Angeles County over a nine-year period to assess whether wildfire smoke exposure that occurs close in time to exposure to TB is associated with increased risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and subsequent development of TB. Aim 3 uses a national surveillance dataset of TB cases in Brazil over a five-year period to assess whether wildfire smoke exposure is temporally associated with increased TB diagnoses using a case-crossover design. Results from these studies will contribute among the first individual-level data regarding the risks of wildfire smoke exposure for TB and COVID-19 outcomes. The proposed research will improve understanding of how trends in wildfires may exacerbate the burden of infectious respiratory diseases. This mentored Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award proposes to provide the trainee, a doctoral student in epidemiology at Boston University, with rigorous interdisciplinary training in both environmental and infectious disease epidemiology that is supplemental to the standard PhD curriculum. Guided by a team of senior mentors with diverse backgrounds in both fields, the trainee will gain the necessary skills and expertise to launch an academic career as an independent researcher generating novel evidence at the nexus of environmental health and infectious diseases. A detailed training plan, in conjunction with the proposed mentored research, provides dedicated time for the trainee to obtain supplemental training in relevant epidemiologic methods and sources of environmental data, and hands-on experience building interdisciplinary, multi-institutional research partnerships.", "keywords": [ "Address", "Affect", "Air Pollutants", "Air Pollution", "Boston", "Brazil", "COVID-19", "COVID-19 diagnosis", "COVID-19 mortality", "California", "Cells", "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)", "Cessation of life", "Communicable Diseases", "County", "Crossover Design", "Data", "Data Set", "Data Sources", "Databases", "Dedications", "Development", "Disease", "Doctor of Philosophy", "Educational Curriculum", "Environmental Exposure", "Environmental Health", "Epidemiologic Methods", "Epidemiology", "Exposure to", "Fire - disasters", "Foundations", "Frequencies", "Goals", "Health", "Human", "Immune", "Immune response", "Immunity", "Impairment", "Incidence", "Individual", "Infection", "Infectious Disease Epidemiology", "Institution", "Link", "Literature", "Los Angeles", "Mentors", "Methods", "Mycobacterium tuberculosis", "National Research Service Awards", "Outcome", "Persons", "Population", "Predisposition", "Publishing", "Registries", "Research", "Research Personnel", "Research Training", "Respiratory Disease", "Risk", "Risk Factors", "Severities", "Smoke", "Source", "Time", "Training", "Tuberculosis", "Tuberculosis diagnosis", "US State", "United States", "Universities", "Vaccines", "Viral", "Wildfire", "air monitoring", "burden of illness", "career", "cohort", "doctoral student", "experience", "exposure mixture", "geospatial analysis", "improved", "infection risk", "insight", "mortality", "mortality risk", "national surveillance", "novel", "pandemic disease", "pollutant", "programs", "pulmonary", "respiratory pathogen", "skills", "sociodemographics", "surveillance data", "training project", "transmission process", "trend" ], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "16040", "attributes": { "award_id": "1R01DE035709-01", "title": "Identifying Biological Signatures for Long COVID Development in Saliva", "funder": { "id": 4, "ror": "https://ror.org/01cwqze88", "name": "National Institutes of Health", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 44507, "first_name": "ALICIA YESIU", "last_name": "CHOU", "orcid": "", "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2026-08-01", "end_date": "2031-05-31", "award_amount": 682398, "principal_investigator": { "id": 23718, "first_name": "Laura Anne", "last_name": "Jacox", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 817, "ror": "", "name": "UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "NC", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 3456, "ror": "", "name": "UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "NC", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Long COVID is a debilitating, multi-system illness that affects over 65M people worldwide. Presently, there are no clinical tests for diagnosis of Long COVID. Instead, diagnosis is based on symptoms that develop, persist, or recur for at least 3 months following acute COVID-19. Providers cannot accurately predict which patients will go on to develop Long COVID, precluding targeted interventions for high-risk patients, a major clinical challenge. In this study, we build on our recent findings demonstrating that early SARS-CoV-2 infection is characterized by oral immune dysregulation and seek to exploit the unique advantages of saliva as a robust, readily accessible biofluid to delineate SARS-CoV-2 oral biology, pathophysiology and host-pathogen interactions. Elucidating the biological signatures of the oral cavity during and after acute COVID-19 holds great promise for predictive and diagnostic factor identification, as the mouth is a site of early SARS-CoV-2 replication, transmission, immune targeting, and ultimately persistence. The overall objective of this study is to develop a predictive algorithm to identify people at high risk of developing Long COVID based on high-resolution phenotyping of the immunologic, microbial, proteomic, and metabolomic landscape of the oral cavity during and after SARS-CoV-2 infection. In Aim 1, we will determine the salivary microbial, proteomic, metabolomic and immune signatures associated with Long COVID development in an established cohort of biobanked COVID-19 outpatients (n=355) combined with new enrollees (n=300) followed longitudinally, of which 30-37% have or will develop Long COVID symptomatology. In Aim 2, we will leverage a novel deep learning pipeline to identify salivary factors that are predictive of Long COVID during acute infection and diagnostic of Long COVID after infection. Our experienced and highly motivated team is uniquely poised to achieve the proposed aims with experts in proteomics, metabolomics, oral microbiome, mucosal immunology, bioinformatics, and machine learning. We are among the few groups nationally with the requisite expertise, longitudinal cohorts, and recruitment pipelines to execute a high-resolution multimodal analysis of the salivary landscape during early SARS-CoV-2 infection and to elucidate its connection to Long COVID development. Successful completion of these studies will greatly enhance our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying Long COVID and lay the groundwork for the development of saliva-based prognostic and diagnostic tests for their ultimate deployment into clinical practice to guide patient care.", "keywords": [ "18 year old", "2019-nCoV", "Acute", "Acute Disease", "Affect", "Age", "American", "Antibodies", "Bioinformatics", "Biological", "Biological Markers", "Biological Response Modifiers", "Biology", "Black race", "Body System", "COVID-19", "Clinical", "Collection", "Data", "Data Set", "Development", "Diagnosis", "Diagnostic", "Diagnostic Factor", "Diagnostic tests", "Disease", "Enrollment", "Exclusion", "Fatigue", "Foundations", "Functional disorder", "Gender", "General Population", "Genetic Transcription", "Goals", "Health", "Hispanic", "Immune", "Immune Targeting", "Immunologics", "Immunology", "Immunosuppression", "Individual", "Infection", "Intervention", "Knowledge", "Light", "Long COVID", "Longitudinal", "Longitudinal cohort", "Machine Learning", "Mass Spectrum Analysis", "Medical History", "Microbe", "Modality", "Mucous Membrane", "Neuropsychology", "Oral", "Oral cavity", "Outpatients", "Participant", "Patient Care", "Patients", "Persons", "Phase", "Phenotype", "Population", "Predictive Factor", "Predisposition", "Proteins", "Proteomics", "Provider", "Publications", "Publishing", "Recovery", "Recurrence", "Reporting", "SARS-CoV-2 infection", "Saliva", "Salivary", "Salivary Glands", "Severity of illness", "Site", "Surveys", "Symptoms", "System", "Testing", "Vaccinated", "Variant", "Viral", "Viral Load result", "Virus", "Whole-Genome Shotgun Sequencing", "Woman", "acute COVID-19", "acute infection", "biobank", "biomarker identification", "case finding", "clinical diagnostics", "clinical practice", "cohort", "cytokine", "deep learning", "demographics", "diagnostic biomarker", "dysbiosis", "experience", "feature selection", "high risk", "high-resolution", "host-microbe interactions", "machine learning method", "machine learning pipeline", "metabolomics", "microbial", "microbial composition", "mitochondrial dysfunction", "multimodality", "multiple omics", "novel", "oral biology", "oral microbiome", "participant enrollment", "pathogen", "post SARS-CoV-2 infection", "prediction algorithm", "predictive signature", "prognostic", "prognostic assays", "recruit", "research clinical testing", "respiratory", "saliva diagnostic", "saliva sample", "symptom management", "symptomatology", "transcriptome sequencing", "transmission process" ], "approved": true } } ], "meta": { "pagination": { "page": 5, "pages": 1442, "count": 14420 } } }