Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Trustees of Tufts College received a $351,945 project grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865), with an award date of June 1, 2026, and completion date of February 28, 2031. The research project, titled "Dissecting the Inflammation Resolution Mechanisms in Endometrial Health and Disease," focuses on investigating the role of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs)—lipid-derived molecules that orchestrate immune function and inflammation resolution—in endometrial health and disease pathogenesis, particularly endometriosis. The primary deliverables include advanced research outputs utilizing innovative multi-cellular organoid in vitro models and computational analysis of human endometrium datasets to address critical knowledge gaps regarding how sex hormones regulate inflammation resolution, how changes in inflammatory networks impact reproductive processes, and the potential therapeutic implications of these findings.

This project addresses a significant gap in endometrial biology by investigating previously unknown regulatory mechanisms governing inflammation resolution across the menstrual cycle and in disease states. The research is expected to generate fundamental scientific insights into immune-endocrine interactions in human reproductive health, with potential applications for understanding and treating endometriosis and other chronic inflammatory reproductive disorders. Research activities will be conducted at the awardee's Boston, MA facility.