Federal Grant Award Summary

Brigham and Women's Hospital Inc. received a $167,400 Project Grant awarded July 15, 2026, by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837). The grant funds a five-year research initiative (completion date June 30, 2031) to conduct a multi-omic evaluation of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), specifically distinguishing between atherogenic and non-atherogenic mechanisms. The research employs a translational approach integrating human genetics, proteomics analysis, and machine learning to understand why some patients develop aortic stenosis concurrent with atherosclerotic coronary disease while others develop aortic stenosis independently.

The project delivers three primary research products: (1) multi-trait genetic analysis to identify differential genetic risk factors distinguishing atherogenic from non-atherogenic aortic stenosis; (2) paired tissue and plasma proteomics of aortic valve specimens from severe aortic stenosis patients to identify proteins differentially expressed between disease states; and (3) machine learning models trained to automatically quantify aortic valve calcification and coronary artery calcification from routine non-contrast chest computed tomography imaging, with evaluation of whether coronary calcification modifies disease progression risk. This investigator-initiated research addresses a significant clinical gap, as current statin therapies have failed to slow aortic stenosis progression despite shared pathobiological features with atherosclerosis.