Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Duke University's Office of Research Administration received a $242,250 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded February 13, 2026, with completion scheduled for January 31, 2028. The project focuses on identifying and validating prognostic biomarkers in invasive candidiasis through examination of host gene expression patterns in circulating immune cells. Recognizing that invasive candidiasis carries particularly high mortality rates in solid organ transplant recipients (up to 40%), the research aims to develop diagnostic and prognostic tools that can identify high-risk patients requiring aggressive antifungal treatment while enabling earlier cessation of therapy in lower-risk patients to reduce medication interactions, adverse side effects, and antifungal resistance.

The research will utilize a previously developed gene expression signature (with diagnostic accuracy of AUROC 0.94) to define the longitudinal evolution of host immune response to invasive candidiasis through serial blood sample analysis. This biomarker-based approach represents a significant advancement over traditional microbial pathogen-based diagnostics, which are characteristically slow, poorly sensitive, and ineffective at predicting treatment response. The deliverables will include prognostic markers and correlates of treatment response that can inform clinical management decisions, ultimately improving patient outcomes in a high-mortality infectious disease population.