Project Grant K99GM159103

Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded a $125,000 Project Grant to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, effective April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2028, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859). This award supports fundamental research investigating the molecular causes and physiological consequences of extreme glucocorticoid (GC) levels in Peromyscus mice species. The research leverages two closely related mouse species—oldfield mice (P. polionotus) and deer mice (P. maniculatus)—that exhibit a 27-fold difference in corticosterone levels despite their ability to hybridize, providing a unique comparative model to understand how elevated GC levels are tolerated and may provide selective advantages in mammals.

The research deliverables under this K99/R00 career development award include identification of biochemical causes of GC evolution at key genes encoding the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), and characterization of the metabolic, immunological, and behavioral consequences of protein divergence at these loci. These findings are intended to advance understanding of why extremely high basal GC levels have independently evolved multiple times across mammalian species and may inform glucocorticoid therapy development in humans by elucidating mechanisms underlying tolerance to chronic high GC exposure.