Federal Grant Award Summary

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport received a $513,411 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded on June 16, 2026, with a completion date of May 31, 2031. The grant supports investigator-initiated biomedical research investigating the role of eosinophils in promoting persistence and transmission of Bordetella species infections, the causative agents of whooping cough. This research addresses a critical public health need, as Bordetella continues to circulate globally despite widespread vaccination, with annual healthcare costs estimated at approximately $79 million.

The project delivers scientific research investigating how eosinophils contribute to bacterial persistence and enhanced transmission through advanced murine models, genetically tractable Bordetella strains, and immunological analysis tools. Specifically, the research examines immunosuppressive pathways regulated by the Bordetella sigma factor BtRS and their modulation of eosinophil function, with two primary research aims: delineating the immunosuppressive role of eosinophils in enabling persistent infection, and identifying eosinophil-derived effectors that promote nasal shedding and cough reflex induction as key transmission metrics. The anticipated outcomes include fundamental knowledge of host-pathogen interactions that could inform development of new therapeutic and prevention strategies for whooping cough.