Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded $115,584 to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute on July 3, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to support computational and experimental investigations into deformation-driven molecular pathways in single right ventricle congenital heart disease. The project, scheduled for completion by June 30, 2031, will address the significant clinical problem of tricuspid valve regurgitation that develops in approximately one-third of children with single right ventricle disease within 20 years following Fontan completion. The research will provide career development support to Principal Investigator Dr. Laurence, a computational biomechanics researcher, to acquire training in cellular and molecular biology necessary to establish mechanistic connections between cellular deformations and tissue growth and remodeling.

The deliverables include two specific research objectives: (1) defining how in-vivo cell deformations differ between patients with single right ventricle congenital heart disease and those with healthy biventricular physiology, and (2) delineating the molecular pathways linking cellular deformations to growth and remodeling endpoints. These products will generate foundational knowledge to inform potential therapeutic interventions for tricuspid valve regurgitation, a condition currently lacking effective pharmacological treatments and associated with a 2.4-fold increased risk of circulatory failure in this vulnerable pediatric population.