Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Pittsburgh received a $437,250 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), effective February 1, 2026 through January 31, 2028. The award funds research investigating Candida glabrata population diversity during gastrointestinal tract colonization and intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC). The research addresses a critical gap in understanding how C. glabrata—the second leading cause of invasive candidiasis and the primary cause of IAC in post-surgical patients—establishes disease, particularly given that most echinocandin treatment failures are not linked to antifungal-resistant strains. The project will examine antifungal heteroresistance and tolerance mechanisms in C. glabrata populations isolated from gastrointestinal sites and IAC infection sites, challenging the prevailing paradigm that sterile site infections originate from single, clonal organisms.

This basic science research initiative will generate new knowledge regarding the pathogenic mechanisms of C. glabrata infections, which cause invasive candidiasis associated with mortality rates of 20-40% despite standard echinocandin treatment. By characterizing genetic and phenotypic diversity within C. glabrata populations from clinical specimens, the research aims to improve understanding of disease establishment and inform development of more effective therapeutic strategies for managing invasive fungal infections in hospital settings globally.