Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Loyola University of Chicago's Health Sciences Campus received a $423,500 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 2, 2026, with completion scheduled for January 31, 2028. The grant funds biomedical research investigating the mechanisms of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation induced by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), specifically examining how colitis triggers inflammasome activation in the brain. The research utilizes novel mouse models equipped with luciferase-based caspase-1 biosensors that enable real-time visualization of inflammation and cell-type-specific CNS responses.

The primary deliverables under this award include scientific discovery and characterization of serum factors that mediate the communication between gastrointestinal inflammation and CNS inflammation, identification of the mechanisms by which these factors induce inflammasome activation in specific CNS cell populations, and advancement of innovative pre-clinical research models to understand the pathophysiology of IBD-related neurological complications. This research addresses a significant gap in understanding comorbid CNS dysfunction in IBD patients and contributes to the broader NIAID mission of investigating infectious, immunologic, and allergic disease mechanisms through competitive, merit-reviewed biomedical research.