Grant Award Summary

Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Health Sciences (RBHS)-School of Nursing received a $554,766 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), effective June 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031. The grant supports research investigating the mechanisms underlying susceptibility to ozone-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a severe form of acute lung injury. The research examines how ozone exposure impairs macrophage clearance of activated neutrophils in the lungs and explores the role of surfactant protein D (SP-D) genetic polymorphisms in exacerbating inflammatory responses during sepsis-related complications.

The project will deliver peer-reviewed research findings on the pathologic mechanisms linking air pollutant exposure to ARDS development, with particular focus on how specific genetic variants in the SP-D gene influence macrophage efferocytosis and neutrophil accumulation in pulmonary tissue. Research outputs will advance understanding of genetic predispositions contributing to ARDS in septic patients and may inform future therapeutic interventions targeting the identified molecular pathways. The work will be conducted at Rutgers' Newark, New Jersey location and builds upon preliminary human ozone exposure studies demonstrating relationships between ozone exposure and receptor cleavage in individuals carrying specific SP-D polymorphisms.