Project Grant R01DK147322

Project Grant Award Summary

Massachusetts General Hospital's Research Management Division received a $842,732 Project Grant 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), awarded July 8, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2031. The project delivers research services focused on developing and validating pathway-specific polygenic scores (PPGSs) to predict individual metabolic responses to weight loss interventions. The research team will conduct three primary aims: creating a catalog of PPGS interactions across multiple body weight measures and metabolic outcomes using meta-analysis across biobank and cohort datasets; developing optimized genome-wide polygenic scores that aggregate pathway-specific interactions to maximize prediction of metabolic risk factor changes; and assessing whether these optimized scores effectively predict real-world changes in metabolic outcomes among individuals undergoing weight loss interventions through lifestyle or pharmaceutical interventions such as GLP-1 receptor agonists.

The project addresses a critical gap in precision medicine by generating scientifically rigorous genetic prediction tools that can inform clinicians and patients on expected metabolic improvements from weight loss, potentially enabling more targeted and effective obesity treatment strategies. This work integrates large-scale observational genetic datasets, advanced statistical modeling, and translational research infrastructure to produce deliverable polygenic score resources suitable for clinical implementation and downstream therapeutic development.