Federal Project Grant Award Summary

This National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) award of $248,999, obligated on June 1, 2026, through the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865), supports independent research development to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) deterioration in pediatric patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. The primary deliverable is advanced research utilizing single-cell multi-omics techniques and machine learning approaches to identify driving cells and genes associated with MODS progression. The research will examine cellular heterogeneity, transcriptional dynamics, and regulatory elements in MODS and ECMO patients at multiple time points, building upon prior bulk RNA-sequencing findings that identified dysregulated immune responses and epigenetic variations as significant factors in disease deterioration.

The three-year project (completion date: May 31, 2029), conducted at Michigan State University's place of performance in East Lansing, MI, and awarded to Loyola University of Chicago's Health Sciences Campus division, aims to develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic methods for pediatric intensive care unit diseases. The research outputs will contribute to addressing the critical gap in clinical and molecular biomarkers for diagnosing MODS deterioration, with the long-term objective of improving survival rates in severe MODS patients receiving ECMO support through advancement of precision diagnostic and treatment interventions.