Project Grant R01DK148676

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center $497,279 on September 1, 2026, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847).

The award funds research dissecting the circadian organization of intestinal cell clocks and their role in gastrointestinal health and disease. The research employs a novel reporter mouse expressing click beetle green luciferase fused with the endogenous PER2 protein to enable cell-type-specific monitoring of circadian gene oscillations across major intestinal cell types—enteric neurons, glial cells, smooth muscle cells, macrophages, and interstitial cells of Cajal. The project investigates how intestinal clock networks maintain synchrony under normal conditions and how circadian disruption contributes to gastrointestinal dysfunction, including motility disorders and inflammatory bowel disease, particularly in populations experiencing circadian disruption from shift work or irregular sleep-wake schedules.

Performance occurs at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. The award funds investigator-initiated basic biomedical research designed to improve understanding of disease mechanisms and advance prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies within NIDDK's programmatic scope.