Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Miami's School of Medicine received a $484,738 Project Grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173), effective May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2031. The award supports the development of an innovative bioengineered human pluripotent stem cell (HPSC) system to advance understanding of inner ear development and disease mechanisms. The project delivers two primary research deliverables: (1) development of a microphysiological system featuring a microfluidic chip capable of establishing precise morphogen concentration gradients to guide three-dimensional (3D) inner ear organoid patterning, with emphasis on modeling dorso-ventral patterning through BMP, WNT, and SHH signaling pathways; and (2) research advancing understanding of regulatory processes governing hair cell formation with specific focus on epigenetic mechanisms.

This funding addresses a critical gap in inner ear research where human tissue accessibility is severely limited, making animal models insufficient for understanding species-specific cellular processes underlying hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction. The award supports translational research aimed at developing human cell-based models and therapeutic strategies for sensory disorders affecting millions of individuals, leveraging recent advances in stem cell-derived organoid technology while addressing documented limitations in current 3D organoid systems.