Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai received a Project Grant award of $683,660 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847). The award, effective February 15, 2026, through December 31, 2029, supports mechanistic research investigating the role of the EYA1 gene as a novel regulator of HIV-associated end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The research aims to characterize the regulatory landscape of the EYA1 locus in persons with HIV (PWH) and conduct mechanistic studies to determine whether EYA1 directly causes glomerular damage or facilitates damage caused by HIV infection.

This research directly advances NIDDK's programmatic objectives to improve understanding of disease mechanisms and develop improved treatments for kidney diseases. The project addresses a significant gap in clinical knowledge, as persons with HIV remain at substantially elevated risk of ESKD despite widespread antiretroviral therapy implementation. The investigation builds upon the research team's prior genome-wide association study findings identifying EYA1 as conferring nearly a five-fold increased risk of developing ESKD independent of existing genetic and clinical risk factors, thereby contributing to the scientific foundation necessary for developing targeted therapeutic interventions for this vulnerable population.