Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded Arkansas Children's Research Institute $107,307 under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) on June 1, 2026, for a two-year project period concluding May 31, 2028. This Project Grant supports fundamental biomedical research aimed at understanding the mechanisms of muscle catabolism following burn injury, with specific emphasis on burn sepsis—the leading complication of burn trauma. The research investigates how mitochondrial and oxidative damage drive hypermetabolism, muscle wasting, and impaired wound healing in burn patients, with the ultimate goal of improving acute and chronic clinical outcomes for burn injury survivors.

The award provides the principal investigator with critical mentored training to establish an independent research career while advancing mechanistic understanding of burn sepsis pathophysiology. The project centers on validating and refining robust animal models that more accurately replicate human burn pathophysiology, incorporating critical variables including secondary sepsis, wound excision, skeletal muscle disuse atrophy, controlled feeding protocols, and thermoneutral housing conditions. By establishing scientifically rigorous animal models that better reflect clinical burn responses, the research aims to generate mechanistic insights that will inform evidence-based therapeutic interventions for improving outcomes in this vulnerable patient population.