Federal Grant Award Summary

Oregon Health & Science University received a $429,000 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) for the period April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2028. This award supports novel genetic research to elucidate critical signaling pathways in Leishmania donovani, a parasitic pathogen responsible for visceral leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease affecting approximately one million people annually with at least 20,000 deaths per year. The research employs gain-of-function (GOF) genetic screening approaches using a library of 440 known or predicted L. donovani signaling proteins cloned into barcoded inducible expression vectors to identify signaling proteins that cause fitness defects upon overexpression.

The project delivers comprehensive research products including generation and characterization of overexpression libraries, barcode sequencing (BAR-SEQ) technology applications to identify essential signaling pathways across parasite lifecycle stages, and identification of novel drug targets for antileishmanial development. This research complements previous loss-of-function screening efforts and aims to overcome the technical and cost barriers of traditional knockout screens, enabling systematic evaluation of hundreds of additional signaling proteins with previously unknown roles in parasite survival and pathogenesis. Research findings are anticipated to generate new therapeutic targets and advance understanding of Leishmania signal transduction mechanisms critical to host-parasite interactions.