Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded a Project Grant of $196,020 to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). This research project will investigate the distinct mechanisms through which Interferon Gamma (IFNγ) induces trained immunity—the ability of innate immune cells to retain memory of prior stimuli—in different cell populations. The research will focus on determining how mature tissue-resident macrophages and differentiating monocytes respond differently to IFNγ stimulation, with the hypothesis that mature cells undergo reversible short-term memory while differentiating monocytes undergo permanent reprogramming.

The deliverables under this award include scientific research outputs from two primary research aims conducted at UCLA's Los Angeles, California location. Aim 1 will examine how IFNγ transcriptionally and functionally redirects both mature and immature monocytes/macrophages in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models. Aim 2 will investigate the epigenetic changes induced by IFNγ during monocyte differentiation, determine whether these changes are reversible, and identify novel genes or signaling pathways driving this differentiation process. These research activities are expected to generate scientific knowledge and methodological advances advancing understanding of innate immune memory mechanisms relevant to infectious disease and immunological disorders.