Project Grant R01HL180582

Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Brigham & Women's Hospital Inc. received a $894,690 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), awarded July 3, 2026, with completion targeted for June 30, 2031. The award funds clinical and translational research to advance Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HGNS) therapy outcomes for patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) who are unresponsive to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment. The research will examine laterally directed pharyngeal collapse as a mechanism of HGNS treatment failure and develop non-invasive diagnostic methods to identify patients at risk of therapy failure before surgical implantation.

The project delivers two primary research products: (1) clinical evidence demonstrating the association between lateral pharyngeal collapse and reduced HGNS efficacy in a cohort of 100 patients undergoing HGNS implantation, and (2) a validated non-invasive screening approach to identify candidates for lateral collapse treatment without requiring the resource-intensive Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy procedure. By establishing lateral collapse as a causal factor in HGNS failure and providing an alternative screening methodology, the research aims to improve treatment selection accuracy, expand patient access to appropriate therapies, and reduce the clinical and operational burden associated with invasive surgical screening procedures in sleep medicine practice.