Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) awarded a Project Grant of $819,506 to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) on June 1, 2026, under the Environmental Health program (CFDA 93.113). The award supports a comprehensive research initiative through March 31, 2031, to investigate pathway-specific stroke risks in relation to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and environmental factors. The project delivers two primary research products: (1) development of generative artificial intelligence (AI)-based classification models to categorize pathway-specific stroke cases (hemorrhagic and ischemic subtypes including large artery atherosclerosis, cardioaortic embolism, small artery occlusion, and other/undetermined categories) using 13 years of electronic health records from ISMMS; and (2) epidemiological analysis assessing associations between PM2.5 mass, composition, and pathway-specific stroke outcomes using spatiotemporally resolved exposure models that minimize measurement error.

This research leverages ISMMS's extensive clinical data infrastructure and patient population serving the New York City metropolitan area to advance understanding of biological mechanisms linking air pollution exposure to distinct stroke pathways. The deliverables include generalizable AI models applicable across multiple healthcare systems, improved methodology for stroke subtype classification in research settings, and evidence-based findings on exposure-response associations between particulate matter composition and specific stroke etiologies. These products contribute to the NIEHS mission of translating environmental health knowledge into strategies to reduce disease burden and promote health across diverse populations.