Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Texas at Austin received a $697,198 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), effective July 1, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2030. The award funds research investigating sexual dimorphism in integrin-mediated endothelialization processes under complex mechanical microenvironments. The research employs an integrin-targeting biomaterial platform and advanced bioreactors to characterize how biological sex influences endothelial cell behavior in response to biochemical substrates and mechanical stimuli including fluid shear stress and cyclic stretch. Deliverables include identification of sex-based differences in human aortic endothelial cell responses to substrate properties and dynamic mechanical conditions, as well as design and validation of bioactive hydrogel coatings optimized for sex-specific endothelialization in small-diameter vascular grafts.

The research culminates in proof-of-concept testing of sex-optimized vascular grafts using an ovine carotid interposition graft model with contralateral sex-mismatched comparisons. Upon completion, the project is expected to generate fundamental knowledge regarding sex-biased endothelial cell behaviors and mechanotransduction mechanisms that will inform the development of precision vascular graft designs capable of improving clinical outcomes across patient populations. The findings are anticipated to have broader implications for cardiovascular disease treatment and the development of other biomaterials that account for sex-specific physiological responses.