Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded a $508,500 Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to New York University School of Medicine, with an award date of April 22, 2026, and a completion date of March 31, 2031. This research grant supports biomedical investigation into the molecular mechanisms by which innate immune cells, specifically neutrophils and professional phagocytes, make functional decisions between migration, phagocytosis (cell engulfment), and netosis (programmed cell death involving nuclear envelope dissolution). The research will employ a combination of controlled in vitro assays and animal models of infection and disease to determine how plasma membrane composition and abundance regulate these distinct cellular programs.

The project generates scientific knowledge advancing understanding of how myeloid cells integrate environmental signals to select between different antimicrobial effector responses, with potential applications to infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and neurological disease. Research outputs will include investigations of upstream and downstream effectors of G-protein signaling pathways (specifically GA12 and GB4 subunits) that modulate plasma membrane homeostasis and control neutrophil decision-making. The research is conducted by a joint postdoctoral scholar working across three institutional laboratories with expertise in infectious diseases, humanized mouse models, chemistry, and computational biology, positioned to deliver mechanistic insights relevant to innate immune system function and disease pathogenesis.