Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Notre Dame received a $614,655 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded July 1, 2026, with performance through June 30, 2031. This five-year research initiative focuses on understanding the bladder inflammatory and immune responses to fungal catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) caused by Candida albicans. The research addresses a critical public health gap, as C. albicans is now the second leading cause of CAUTIs globally and is designated as a major fungal threat by the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, yet the pathogenesis of fungal CAUTIs remains poorly understood compared to bacterial infections.

The award supports fundamental research to dissect complex bladder-fungal interactions and identify the specific fungal factors driving persistent CAUTI. The investigation emphasizes the role of the EFG1 gene and EFG1-regulated factors in bladder colonization and immune evasion, building on preliminary findings that hyphal morphology—the virulent form of C. albicans—is induced by urine conditions and during CAUTI. Deliverables include characterization of fungal virulence mechanisms, mapping of host-pathogen interactions in the catheterized bladder environment, and foundational knowledge to inform prevention and treatment strategies for fungal CAUTIs in the context of rising antimicrobial resistance.