Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $675,339 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) for a five-year Project Grant commencing May 1, 2026 and concluding April 30, 2031. The award supports "The Protective and Pathologic Features of the LASV Immune Response (LASV LEGACY)" project, which investigates fundamental immunological mechanisms underlying Lassa virus (LASV) infection and Lassa fever (LF). With LASV infecting approximately 2.7 million individuals and causing over 5,000 deaths annually, primarily in West Africa, the research addresses critical public health knowledge gaps regarding host immune responses to this persistent global health threat.

The project delivers scientific research products through two primary aims: (1) characterizing and comparing humoral and cellular immune responses following subclinical LASV infection and LF across the spectrum of illness severity, and (2) describing the prevalence, characteristics, and natural history of long-term clinical complications associated with LASV infection and LF, including exploration of associations with host, viral, and immune response factors. Research outputs will provide direct practical value for vaccine candidate trial design and identification of prevention and treatment strategies for long-term sequelae of LASV infection, advancing understanding of LASV-related immune pathology and supporting evidence-based clinical interventions in endemic regions.