Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded $777,727 to the Regents of the University of Michigan on July 15, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) for a Project Grant extending through March 31, 2030. The award funds structural and mechanistic research investigating caveolin-1 (CAV1)-mediated membrane remodeling and its connection to vascular physiology. The research will employ cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and biochemical approaches to determine how CAV1 complexes interact with biological membranes, alter lipid bilayer architecture, and facilitate caveolae biogenesis—specialized plasma membrane invaginations critical to endothelial cell signaling and cardiovascular health. The work will establish the structural basis for CAV1's role in membrane curvature and map binding interfaces for cytoplasmic signaling proteins such as endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS).

This basic research project directly supports the NHLBI's mission to foster hypothesis-driven mechanistic research on cardiovascular diseases and related conditions. The University of Michigan's Office of Research and Sponsored Projects will oversee execution of the research at the institution's Ann Arbor, Michigan facility. The deliverables will include high-resolution structural data, mechanistic insights into membrane remodeling processes, and foundational knowledge linking CAV1 function to vascular endothelial physiology—outcomes expected to advance understanding of cardiovascular regulation and inform future therapeutic interventions.