Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston a $632,144 project grant effective March 17, 2026, through February 28, 2031, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853). The award funds the "Systemic Lipid Metabolism After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SLIM-SAH)" project, which investigates the role of lipid metabolites in delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) development following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (ASAH). The project delivers translational research services and analytical outputs including validation of lipid biomarkers for DCI prediction, functional and gene expression analysis of circulating and cerebrospinal fluid monocytes, and development of machine learning models incorporating clinical, lipid, and gene expression data to improve outcome prediction following ASAH.

The research utilizes human biosamples and targeted mass spectrometry-based assays to detect key lipid metabolites including lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine-1-phosphate, which preliminary findings indicate are elevated in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of DCI patients. This translational research effort addresses a significant clinical need, as DCI occurs in approximately 30 percent of ASAH patients—a condition affecting approximately 500,000 people worldwide—and contributes substantially to long-term morbidity and mortality despite existing treatment limitations.