Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Michigan's Regents received a $1.12 million Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), awarded June 15, 2026, with a completion date of March 31, 2030. This research initiative investigates compartmentalized G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling in cardiac function, focusing on how adrenergic and angiotensin receptors regulate distinct cellular processes through different intracellular locations. The research builds on prior discoveries demonstrating that beta-2 adrenergic receptors trigger endosomal activation of extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) and that phospholipase C epsilon serves as a downstream nexus for multiple receptor inputs in cardiac cells.

The grant supports collaborative research among faculty from the Zhang, Sunahara, and Smrcka laboratories to elucidate the molecular determinants governing receptor-mediated ERK and phospholipase signaling in cardiac regulation. Specifically, the research aims to determine ligand-dependent receptor desensitization mechanisms and characterize how distinct subcellular populations of beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors cooperate in regulating cell function. Outcomes from this work are intended to provide fundamental insights into GPCR signaling architecture that can inform novel pharmacological development for cardiovascular therapeutic applications.