Project Grant K23NS151612

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded Emory University $209,385 under Project Grant K23NS151612 on September 1, 2026, to support a five-year career development program in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) biomarker discovery and clinical application.

Dr. Eleanor Thomas will pursue formal training in proteomic network analysis and bioinformatics, whole genome sequencing data analysis, and machine learning methods for predictive modeling under mentorship from leading experts in ALS translational research, neurodegeneration biomarker discovery, ALS genomic analysis, and biostatistics. Using the Emory ALS Center Database and Biobank clinical resources, Dr. Thomas will define ALS molecular subgroups through unsupervised clustering of plasma proteomic data and map these to clinical features including age of onset, site of onset, and progression rate. She will then integrate whole-genome sequencing with proteomic data using protein quantitative trait loci and proteome-wide association studies to identify genetic variants that regulate disease-relevant proteins. The goal is to resolve clinical differences between ALS patients by identifying genetic and proteomic drivers of clinical variability, enabling development of improved ALS biomarker panels for everyday clinical practice and enhanced ALS clinical trial design.

Performance occurs in Atlanta, Georgia from September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2031. The award is funded under NINDS Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853), which supports extramural research including basic science exploring brain and nervous system structure and function.