Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded Children's Research Institute a $1.82M Project Grant (CFDA 93.837, Cardiovascular Diseases Research) effective July 15, 2026, with completion scheduled for June 30, 2028. This award funds a research initiative addressing postnatal hypoxemia, cardiac immaturity, and surgical recovery outcomes in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). The project delivers mechanistic research and clinical investigation services across three primary aims: characterizing the impact of postnatal hypoxemia on developing cardiomyocyte biological age; evaluating direct effects of hypoxemia on reoxygenation injury and myocardial drug responsiveness; and investigating clinical cardiac function impacts in pediatric CHD patients undergoing surgical intervention.

The deliverables include experimental research using complementary animal models, human biological sample analysis, and patient biomonitoring data collection. Children's Research Institute will conduct translational science work designed to identify improvements in postoperative outcomes for pediatric CHD patients—particularly those with cyanotic CHD lesions who face elevated morbidity and mortality risk. The award utilizes collaborative biobanking efforts and integrates mechanistic laboratory findings with clinical patient data to address the urgent clinical need for better understanding of how chronic hypoxemia affects cardiac function and surgical recovery in this vulnerable pediatric population.