Federal Grant Award Summary

New York University School of Medicine received a $254,250 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded May 20, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2028. The grant funds investigator-initiated biomedical research examining the relationship between lower airway microbial sulfur metabolism and oxidative stress in inflammatory lung diseases. The research addresses a gap in understanding how the lung microbiome functionally influences redox homeostasis, specifically investigating whether aspiration of oral commensal bacteria alters sulfur metabolism and increases susceptibility to oxidative stress-driven inflammation in conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The project will deliver scientific research outputs through two primary specific aims: assessing whether altered sulfur metabolism is associated with enrichment of oral commensals and increased oxidative stress in the lower airways using previously collected samples, and investigating the mechanistic pathways linking microbial sulfur metabolism to redox dysregulation. The research will generate knowledge regarding the functional role of the lung microbiome in disease pathophysiology, contributing to the broader understanding of how microbial metabolites impact inflammatory airway disease progression and potentially informing future therapeutic interventions targeting microbial-driven oxidative stress.