Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Pennsylvania received a $406,250 Project Grant award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective March 1, 2026, with completion targeted for December 31, 2030. The award funds the development of correlated factor models and statistical methodologies for analyzing complex multimodal biological datasets. The project will deliver three primary product categories: (1) model-based imputation methods to handle missing data in multi-omics studies, enabling larger-scale investigations and design of targeted omics panels; (2) multi-omics analysis methods that integrate data across tissues and time points to characterize dynamic molecular processes and systems-level impacts of disease or intervention; and (3) integration methods based on nonlinear representation learning to detect complex relationships between omics modalities and integrate structured non-omics data such as clinical notes and radiographic images.

The research team will demonstrate the utility of these methodologies through collaborative analyses of multiple population cohorts, including a cohort with subclinical atherosclerosis. The project addresses a critical gap in biomedical research by providing computational and statistical tools to analyze the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors across multiple biological measurement systems, supporting the NIGMS mission to advance understanding of fundamental biological processes underlying human disease.