Federal Grant Award Summary

Yale University received a $2.26 million Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to investigate genetic effects on molecular phenotypes at single-cell resolution across brain regions in the context of substance use disorder (SUD) and HIV infection. The award, effective March 1, 2026, through February 28, 2030, supports research conducted through the Single-Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) Consortium, which analyzes single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic data collected from hundreds of human donors and animal models across multiple brain regions and exposure conditions (control, HIV, opioid use disorder, and comorbid HIV+OUD).

The research deliverables include state-of-the-art integrative analyses examining how genetic variants mediate cellular and molecular responses to HIV and SUD exposures across different cell types and brain regions. The project employs Bayesian statistical methods to analyze transcript/isoform expression and epigenomic peak data, with the objective of identifying genetic heterogeneity that explains phenotypic variation among individuals with similar exposures. These findings are intended to generate novel insights into cellular dysfunction mechanisms in comorbid SUD-HIV conditions and support development of clinically relevant therapeutic applications and personalized treatment approaches.