The following is a list of new grants awarded to SOM faculty with project start dates in April, May, June, and July of 2026 (the awards listed have a total award amount greater than $100,000):
| PI | Project Title | Sponsor | Award Amount | Project Begin Date |
| Thaxton, Jessica | Regulation of Immunometabolism by the Integrated Stress Response in Cancer | NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) | 624194 | 01-Apr-26 |
| Milner, Justin | Synthetic Reprogramming of CAR-T Cells for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer | V Foundation for Cancer Research | 1000000 | 15-Apr-26 |
| Sowa, Nate | Expansion of School-Based Tele-Behavioral Health Services Across Rural NC | The Leon Levine Foundation | 250000 | 01-Apr-26 |
| Bergmeier, Wolfgang | Novel pathways and mechanisms underlying disorders of platelet count and/or function | NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) | 1081420 | 01-Apr-26 |
| Hur, Steve | Determining the role of glycine in obesity-associated thrombotic diseases | American Heart Association (AHA) | 231000 | 01-Apr-26 |
| Berlow, Rebecca | Elucidating the Molecular Determinants of Functional Specificity in Intrinsically Disordered Proteins | NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) | 413946 | 05-Apr-26 |
| Tisch, Roland | Coreceptor therapy-induced de-differentiation of autoreactive Tfh | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 427625 | 01-Apr-26 |
| Carter, Charlie | The origins of biological information: tracing genetic code evolution experimentally | Alfred P Sloan Foundation | 563461 | 01-Apr-26 |
| Jiang, Guochun | Inactivation of the ISR/ATF4 signaling pathway stabilizes HIV reservoirs | NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) | 793185 | 07-Apr-26 |
| Pinton, Gianmarco | Volumetric ultrasound for functional imaging and multi-targeted closed-loop circuit level neuromodulation | NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) | 570612 | 07-Apr-26 |
| Dellon, Evan | A Trial of Upadacitinib for Non-responsive Eosinophilic esophagitis (ATUNE) | NIH National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) | 781365 | 06-Apr-26 |
| Ideraabdullah, Folami | Developmental windows of vitamin D supplementation for optimal metabolic health | NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) | 427625 | 01-Apr-26 |
| Corcoran, David | Enabling Advanced Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Capabilities in the Lineberger Bioinformatics Core | North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC) | 135008 | 01-Apr-26 |
| Heise, Mark | Impact of Host Genetic Variants on Regulating Chikungunya Virus-Induced Disease | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 229360 | 15-Apr-26 |
| Benhabbour, Soumya | Ultra-long-acting in-situ forming implant (ISFI) as a subcutaneous injection for prevention of HIV and unplanned pregnancy | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 1106984 | 14-Apr-26 |
| Philpot, Ben | Leveraging mouse models and retinal organoids to optimize a gene therapy for IMPG2-associated retinal degeneration | NIH National Eye Institute (NEI) | 603053 | 15-Apr-26 |
| Leiderman, Karin | Mechanistic Mathematical Modeling of Mim8-Mediated FX Activation and Thrombin Generation | Novo Nordisk A/S | 118330 | 01-Apr-26 |
| Heise, Mark | RNA Ribosylation’s Role in Viral RNA Biology and Innate Immunity | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 229714 | 13-Apr-26 |
| Legant, Wesley | Multiplexed multiscale imaging for cellular immunotherapies | NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) | 207802 | 01-May-26 |
| Moon, Andrew | Establishing a Statewide Registry for Liver Cancer Risk using NLP-Enhanced Case Finding | NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) | 399829 | 15-May-26 |
| Flower, Kori | Implementing the Greenlight Plus digital and clinic intervention to achieve healthy weight in early childhood | Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) | 3531952 | 01-May-26 |
| Schrider, Dan | Novel methods for detecting positive selection in mosquitoes | NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) | 113464 | 01-May-26 |
| Chen, Gang | IL22-STAT3 activation as a modulator-complementary strategy for small airway disease in CF | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | 168000 | 01-May-26 |
| Miao, Yinglong | Enhanced Sampling of Intracellular Protein Interactions with G-Protein-Coupled Receptors | NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) | 470963 | 01-May-26 |
| Besheer, Joyce | Evaluation of GLP-1 receptor agonists on alcohol-related behaviors | NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) | 444576 | 01-May-26 |
| Turner, Anne-Marie | HIV Activation by Targeted BRD4 Recruitment | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 194375 | 04-May-26 |
| Sellers, Rani | Pannoramic 250 Flash III Digital Scanner | NIH Office of the Director (OD) | 395745 | 15-May-26 |
| Ariel, Pablo | UltraMicroscope Blaze with LightSpeed Mode for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NIH Office of the Director (OD) | 425494 | 15-May-26 |
| Cheney, Richard | Molecular mechanisms of myosin-X and filopodial function | NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) | 432135 | 15-May-26 |
| Vetreno, Ryan | Proinflammatory HMGB1 Contributions to Adolescent Alcohol-induced Reversible Epigenetic Suppression of Cholinergic Neuron Phenotype and Cognitive Deficits in Adulthood | NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) | 653214 | 01-May-26 |
| Won, Hyejung | The Hidden Genome: Repetitive DNA in Autism Spectrum Disorders | Simons Foundation | 149999 | 01-May-26 |
| Bartelt, Luther | Targeting the Giardia secretome to reduce growth impairment | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 790259 | 08-May-26 |
| Moore, Carlton | Readiness And Preparation for Informatics and Data Science Careers (RAPID) | NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) | 101796 | 12-May-26 |
| Damania, Blossom | EBV Modulation of Genome Stability in B-cell Lymphoma | NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) | 117144 | 01-Jun-26 |
| Tarantino, Lisa | Using unbiased whole-brain imaging to identify functional brain networks in genetically heterogeneous Collaborative Cross mouse strains with divergent responses to cocaine | NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) | 230421 | 01-Jun-26 |
| Legant, Wesley | CAREER: Connecting Physical Forces to Cell Migration Within Complex 3D Environments | National Science Foundation (NSF) | 615000 | 01-Jun-26 |
| Hanks, Brent | Investigating Melanoma-Mediated Epigenetic Reprogramming of Dendritic Cell Progenitors as a Mechanism of Immunotherapy Resistance | Department of Defense (DOD) | 559213 | 01-Jun-26 |
| Steiner, Anne | Menstrual Effluent and Fecundity | NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) | 586356 | 01-Jun-26 |
| Joseph, Sarah | Continued HIV Production From Infected Macrophage In People On ART | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 427625 | 10-Jun-26 |
| Caron, Kathleen | The role of apelin receptor signaling in lymphatic vessel | NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) | 109696 | 04-Jun-26 |
| Dennis, Ann | Mentoring investigators in patient-oriented research on HIV and public health | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 208608 | 11-Jun-26 |
| Brunk, Elizabeth | CAREER: Decoding gene regulatory mechanisms with AI and population-scale multi-omics | National Science Foundation (NSF) | 598807 | 01-Jun-26 |
| Edwards, Whitney | Investigating Posttranslational Mechanisms in Cardiac Development and Congenital Heart Disease | Saving tiny Hearts Society | 100000 | 01-Jun-26 |
| Boyce, Ross | Permethrin-treated baby wraps for the prevention of malaria in refugee settings | Thrasher Research Fund | 566312 | 01-Jun-26 |
| O’Connell, Catherine | Uncovering Molecular Markers of Protection and Disease in Chlamydial Infections for Vaccine Development | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 753256 | 01-Jun-26 |
| Browne, Edward | Identification of immune signatures associated with HIV reservoir characteristics and clonal expansion | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 427625 | 15-Jun-26 |
| Young, Samuel | Development of Gene Therapy Approaches to Cerebellar CACNA1A disorders | NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) | 439588 | 22-Jun-26 |
| Kato, Hiroyuki | How the Brain Learns to Ignore Noise, and Why This Mechanism Fails in Autism-Related Disorders | Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness | 109932 | 26-Jun-26 |
| Guichard, Lauriane | Predictors of Nociplastic Pain after Cardiac Surgery Requiring Intensive Care | Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research | 300000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Hantman, Adam | Mapping whole-brain motor resilience across the lifespan | Burroughs Wellcome Fund | 560000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Milner, Justin | Engineering synthetic T cell states to treat solid cancers | American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) | 1000000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Chibwesha, Carla | Improving Cervical Precancer Treatment Outcomes in Women with HIV | American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) | 1000000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Kim, William | Defining CAF Subtypes that Predict and Modulate BCG Response in Bladder Cancer | American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) | 110000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Kovalski, Joanna | Onco-mRNA Translational Specificity Mechanisms in Pancreatic Cancer | NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) | 194511 | 7/3/2026 |
| Hsu, Li-Ming | Mapping Neural Circuit and Network Contribution to Addiction Development Using an Integrated fMRI, Calcium Miniscope, and Drug Self-administration System | NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) | 427625 | 7/1/2026 |
| Sebastião, Yuri | Impact of Elective Induction of Labor on Birth Outcomes: Target Trial Emulation with Observational Cohort Data from Low-Resource Settings | NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) | 427625 | 7/1/2026 |
| Hu, Dan | Multi-view Learning Based Infant-Specific Cerebellum Parcellation and Its Application to Infants with Early Adversities | NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) | 427625 | 7/15/2026 |
| Thaxton, Jessica | Mechanisms of ATF4-Directed Macrophage Dysfunction in Cancer | NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) | 713290 | 7/6/2026 |
| Roubinov, Danielle | Building capacity for community-engaged mental health programming in rural North Carolina | Anonymous Trust | 700000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Buchbinder, Mara | The Pediatric Vaccine Encounter in a New Era: Identifying and Mitigating Ethical Challenges | Greenwall Foundation | 290588 | 7/1/2026 |
| Stringer, Jeff | OASIS – Obstetric Access through Simple Integrated Sonography | Duke Endowment | 1090000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Sheikh, Shehzad | Gastroenterology Research Training | NIH National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) | 385135 | 7/1/2026 |
| Donaldson, Scott | Therapeutics Development Center Award | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | 157752 | 7/1/2026 |
| Ting, Jenny | Defining the Role of Astrocytic NLRX1 in Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis | BrightFocus Foundation | 200000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Andermann, Tessa | From Tolerance to Resistance: Adaptive Pathways of Enterobacterales Persistence in the Gut Under Antibiotic Pressure | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 741051 | 7/1/2026 |
| Sowa, Nate | Collaborative Care Model Planning Grant – Expanding Behavioral Health Access in NC Safety Net Clinics | The Leon Levine Foundation | 200000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Tilson, Hugh | NC Center for Healthcare Workforce Development – Continuation and Expansion Funds (Phase 2) | Duke Endowment | 2860000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Ellsworth, Patrick | Cell surface localization of FVIII mimetic therapy | NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) | 166924 | 7/1/2026 |
| Taylor, Joan | Interconnecting actin dynamics and cardiac metabolic homeostasis | NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) | 554085 | 7/15/2026 |
| Lazear, Helen | Viral and host genetic determinants of La Crosse virus neuroinvasive disease | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 771510 | 7/9/2026 |
| Conlon, Frank | DDX3X and post-transcriptional regulation of cardiac sex differences | NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) | 693182 | 7/10/2026 |
| Kim, Boa | Mechanical Regulation of Endothelial Lipid Droplet Metabolism: A New Pathway Linking Flow to Vascular Dysfunction | NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) | 618352 | 7/15/2026 |
| Iweala, Onyinye | Tick Infestation and T cell responses in alpha-gal syndrome | NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | 790085 | 7/13/2026 |
| Emir, Uzay | Short-TE fMRI for human brain applications | NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) | 610678 | 7/1/2026 |
| Baldelli, Andrea | Social Media and AI Exposure in Preteen Girls: Implications for Changes to Social Motivation and Depression | Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness | 240000 | 7/22/2026 |
| Despotes, Katherine | Evaluation of Dornase Alfa on Mucociliary Clearance in Early and Late Stage Modulator-Treated Cystic Fibrosis | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | 133000 | 7/1/2026 |
| Donaldson, Scott | Adult Cystic Fibrosis Grant (CC106-AD) The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | 308925 | 7/1/2026 |
| Kesimer, Mehmet | Integrated Investigation into MUC5AC Structure-Function, Interactome, and Role in Airway Obstruction: A Roadmap for Targeted Therapies | NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) | 750330 | 7/10/2026 |