Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Harvard Medical School received a $133,232 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), with an award date of June 5, 2026, and a completion date of May 30, 2028. The award supports a mentored K99/R00 career transition grant investigating the neural control of cardiovascular physiology, specifically examining how genetically distinct populations of vagal cardiac sensory neurons detect and respond to blood loss and regulate autonomic output through brainstem circuits.

The research project will deliver scientific outputs in the form of investigator-initiated research findings addressing a critical gap in understanding cardiovascular compensation mechanisms during hemorrhage. During the mentored K99 phase, the funded activities will include: (1) characterization of vagal neuron subtypes' dynamic responses to varying degrees of hemorrhage using in vivo calcium imaging, genetic tools, and chemogenetics; and (2) identification of stress-related chemical signals that activate vagal cardiac neurons. The R00 phase will support the investigator's transition to research independence through large-scale multi-electrode recording studies. The research conducted at Harvard Medical School's Boston facility is expected to advance fundamental knowledge of sensory pathways involved in cardiovascular regulation and hemorrhagic compensation, with potential implications for preventing fainting, organ failure, and death during blood loss.