Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York a Project Grant of $1,151,498 under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), effective March 1, 2026, with completion targeted for January 31, 2033. This award funds research conducted at Columbia University's Health Sciences Division in New York to advance understanding of lung epithelial development and regeneration as a pathway to treating end-stage lung diseases, particularly idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

The research leverages genetic manipulation, lineage tracing, three-dimensional organoid models, single-cell RNA sequencing, and bioinformatics analyses to identify how developmental signaling pathways and transcription factors are reactivated during epithelial regeneration. Current focus areas include posttranscriptional regulation of epithelial progenitor specification, epithelial regeneration following injury, and fibroblast reprogramming into alveolar progenitor cells. Deliverables from this extended seven-year grant period are expected to identify novel therapeutic targets and mechanisms that enhance lung epithelial restoration, with findings applicable to regenerative medicine and treatment development for chronic lung diseases.