Project Grant R01HL178616

The University of Rochester has received a $665,724 Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), effective July 15, 2026 through March 31, 2030. This research project investigates the cardioprotective mechanisms of exercise by examining the role of the NRF2 (Nuclear Factor Erythroid-Derived 2) stress-responsive transcription factor and its antioxidant gene program in cardiac fibroblasts. The funded research will establish how exercise induces NRF2-dependent antioxidant responses that prevent fibroblast activation and cardiac fibrosis development, with studies spanning molecular and cellular mechanisms in model organisms and translational applications relevant to heart disease prevention.

The project deliverables include mechanistic research findings on the interplay between oxidant signaling, chromatin accessibility, and NRF2 responsiveness in cardiac fibroblasts under exercise conditions, as well as comparative analyses examining how disease states, aging, and environmental factors suppress the antioxidant gene program. Research outcomes will contribute to understanding why NRF2 dysfunction correlates with increased heart failure and kidney disease incidence, potentially informing therapeutic interventions that mimic exercise-induced cardioprotection. The work will be conducted at the University of Rochester's Rochester, New York facility.