Explore each grant program’s funded research below.
This project investigates how the protein mTORC1 links metabolism and immune responses to promote granuloma formation in sarcoidosis, using both a mouse model and patient samples. The team will also explore how sarcoidosis affects immune responses and disease severity across different organs.
This project investigates how dysregulated TBET activity influences two key immune cell typesóMAITs and IELsóin severe pulmonary sarcoidosis, focusing on a molecular pathway involving SHP2 and SKP2. By examining patient-derived cells, the study aims to uncover how this pathway may drive disease progression through altered immune cell behavior and gene activity.
This study investigates how gene regulation differs in individuals with lung sarcoidosis, particularly those with fibrosis, to understand how these changes relate to disease severity. By comparing gene regulation and expression patterns to other lung conditions, the research aims to identify molecular markers that could help predict sarcoidosis progression.
This study will analyze how nasal airway cells from individuals with sarcoidosis respond to suspected environmental triggers, using gene expression profiling to identify disease-specific responses. By comparing these responses to those in other lung conditions and tracking changes over time, the research aims to uncover potential triggers and predictors of disease progression.
This study aims to uncover how epithelioid cells emerge and contribute to granuloma formation in sarcoidosis by analyzing genetic profiles from skin and blood samples over time. By comparing findings to other granulomatous diseases, the research could identify key mechanisms that drive sarcoidosis and reveal new therapeutic targets.
This project explores how proteins from the fungus Aspergillus nidulans may trigger immune responses involved in LˆfgrenÃs Syndrome, aiming to uncover a potential cause of sarcoidosis and develop a lung-specific mouse model for future research.
This project aims to develop statistical models linking telomere length and immune cell exhaustion to the severity of lung fibrosis in sarcoidosis, using structural lung scans. The findings could identify measurable biomarkers and help predict patients at risk for worsening lung health.
This project aims to develop AI algorithms that use heart imaging and electrical recordings to identify individuals with sarcoidosis at risk for severe cardiac symptoms. By improving risk assessment and making diagnostics more accessible, the tools could help deliver more personalized care.
This project aims to perform a detailed, mechanistic study of the critical cellular processes that break down proteins and test the therapeutic potential of compounds targeting these protein-degradation mechanics. This discovery-focused study could help identify new therapeutic targets and generate new hypotheses about the role of impaired protein breakout in neurodegenerative disease.
This project aims to mechanistically test the hypothesis that combinations of genetic mutations create a predisposition to environmental risk factors and lead to sporadic ALS. The team will combine predictive computer modeling using data from the large, open-access genetic data set Project MinE with mechanistic, experimental manipulation of genetic and environmental factors. These studies will help us understand the commonalities and specific risk factors for sporadic ALS, which have proven difficult to identify.
This project aims to reveal specific molecular signatures and subtypes of ALS by combining gene expression profiling, robotic imaging, and advanced artificial intelligence methods with patient-derived motor neurons. These studies could effectively subtype people living with ALS and enable precision medicine treatment approaches. This project leverages the powerful, open-access biological resources developed through the Answer ALS research project to develop a novel platform for resolving the heterogeneity of sporadic ALS at the cellular level.
This project aims to use a novel approach in human tissue and rodent models to test a hypothesis about whether hyperexcitability of the motor cortex could be used as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in ALS. It will also probe the utility of correcting noradrenaline activity in the brain as a therapeutic method. This project has a clear translational impact by pursuing the development of biomarkers and identifying a potential new target for early intervention or treatment of ALS.