GRANTS & INDUSTRY SPONSORED AWARDS
PI: Mary Lewinski, MD
Title: Developing an AI-Guided Triculture Platform to Model NeuroHIV specific Microglial States Under ART Suppression with CellPaint/Morphological and Transcriptomic Readouts
Agency: NIH
Period: 03/01/2026-02/28/2028
Overview: The Modulo Bio triculture system, enhanced with AI-driven morphological profiling and functional analyses, can effectively model HABI in the context of chronic, ART-suppressed HIV infection. The primary objective is to establish a preclinical model that accurately reflects HABI pathophysiology under ART conditions.
Title: Novel Role of Urinary Urate in Renal Cystogenesis and Water Regulation
Agency: NIH
Period: 09/01/2025-08/31/2029
Overview: This is a novel hypothesis in the collecting duct whereby the interplay between apical uptake of urate via URAT1 and the apical exit of urate via ABCG2 determine cytosolic concentrations of urate, which stimulates water reabsorption via aquaporin-2 by a vasopressin-independent mechanism. This hypothesis, if confirmed, critically expands our understanding of the physiology of collecting duct water transport. Moreover, it provides new strategies in patients
with polycystic kidney disease to attenuate the polyuria induced by vasopressin V2 receptor
blockers, which otherwise limits drug compliance and worsens kidney outcome due to
stimulating vasopressin.
PI: James Pittman, MD
Title: Supported Online Self-Help for Veterans with Depression in Primary Care (SOS-Depression)
Agency: NIH
Period: 09/01/2025-08/31/2029
Overview: A convenience sample of 400 post-911 Veterans with depression will be recruited across two major VA sites including Los Angeles and San Diego.
PI: James Chen, MD
Title: Quantitative Imaging and Molecular Data Modeling for Brain Tumor Recurrence and Progression Analysis
Agency: NIH
Period: 08/04/2025-07/31/2029
Overview: With this grant, Dr. Chen works with clinical colleagues from the Ohio State University, Thomas Jefferson University and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to create/obtain consensus masks for tumor recurrence (TR), radiation necrosis (RN) and rapid early progression (REP) masks for pre-existing anonymized datasets. Dr. Chen works provides clinical perspectives in developing explainable AI methods for this study, building off previous experience in explainable AI including attention maps and grad cams, among others used in a previous DARPA grant.
PI: Henry York, MD
Title: Tele-Exercise to promote Empowered Movement with Spinal Cord Injury, TEEMS
Agency: DOD
Period: 09/01/2025-08/31/2028
Overview: This study involves a randomized clinical trial of the developed telexercise program, Tele Exercise to promote Empowered Movement with Spinal Cord Injury, TEEMS. All research activities (recruitment, enrollment, communication, data collection, intervention) will be conducted remotely through encrypted web-enhanced video systems. Specific Aim 1 is to determine if participation in the synchronous 8-week program improves psychosocial determinants of physical activity behavior compared to an 8-week asynchronous video program.
PI: Victoria Risbrough, PhD
Title: Phase 2a Trial of the Efficacy and Safety of PT150 in the Treatment of US Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Agency: DOD
Period: 09/30/2025-08/31/2029
Overview: This study will evaluate PT150, a selective glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist, as a novel treatment for PTSD, which affects 7-8% of the civilian population and up to 20% of military personnel. Current FDA approved medications are often ineffective, and no new treatments have been approved in the past 20 years. PTSD is linked to increased GR activity, and blocking GR may "reset" the body's stress response, alleviating symptoms. PT150 is more selective than existing treatments, offering a targeted approach without affecting other receptors or interacting with alcohol. This study will assess PT150’s effectiveness in reducing PTSD symptoms, its safety, and its impact on emotional memory in a group of 120 Veterans with PTSD but no traumatic brain injury (TBI).
PI: Albert Leung, MD
Title: Machine Learning in Guiding rTMS Treatment for GWI-Related Headaches and Body Pain
Agency: DOD
Period: 09/01/2025-08/31/2029
Overview: Recent development in machine learning platforms such as Support Vector Machine (SVM) provides the feasibility of establishing an algorithm for achieving individualized treatment paths allowing patients to reach favorable treatment outcomes without undergoing burdensome trial-and-error processes. Thus, this proposed study aims to establish and validate a machine learning model based on brain pain modulation related functional connectivity deficits to predict the responders of two repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment protocols for patients with Gulf War Illness related headache and body pain (GWIHAP).
PI: Ariel Lang, PhD
Title: A Hybrid I Evaluation of Integrative Health Care for PTSD
Agency: DOD
Period: 09/01/2025-08/31/2029
This project will examine different models of integrative care as compared to usual care to support sustained functional recovery among Veterans with PTSD. Complementary care will be delivered virtually (telehealth or via mobile application) over twelve weeks, with psychotherapy delivered by VA clinicians for as many sessions as necessary (typically 8-16) in the Veteran’s preferred modality (i.e., in person or via telehealth, individual or group). To accomplish this, the team will conduct and analyze structured interviews with participants, VA providers and VA leaders and synthesize the information to provide plans by which to begin offering integrative care for Veterans with PTSD throughout the VA.
PI: Leslie Morland, PhD
Title: A Hybrid-1 Effectiveness Implementation Trial of Partner-Assisted Prolonged Exposure for PTSD
Agency: DOD
Period: 09/30/2024-09/29/2028
Overview: Partnering with significant others may prove a powerful method for helping Veterans get the most out of their PTSD treatment. The aim of this study is to determine if Partner Assisted Prolonged Exposure (PPE) differs from standard Prolonged Exposure (PE) in its effects on outcomes for intimate partners, including romantic functioning, psychological distress, caregiver burden, and psychosocial functioning.
PI: Samir Gupta, MD
Title: Colonoscopy versus stool-based testing for older adults with a history of colon polyps (COOP)
Agency: PCORI
Period: 04/01/2024-03/31/2026
Overview: In a survey of older adults, half preferred FIT, a non-invasive, low cost, stool-based test, to colonoscopy for surveillance of polyps. This approach has not been studied, leading to its absence from major society guidelines. The COOP Trial addresses this evidence gap, as a comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing colonoscopy versus annual FIT for post-polypectomy surveillance among adults aged 65-82 with a history of low-risk colorectal polyps who are due for surveillance colonoscopy within the coming year.
PI: Mary Lewinski, MD
Title: Mechanisms of antagonism of BST2 isoforms and implications for HIV pathogenesis
Agency: NIH
Period: 07/10/2025-06/31/2030
Overview: The transmission and persistence of HIV is made possible by its ability to evade the innate immune response, which includes cellular defenses like the interferon-induced restriction factor, BST2/tetherin. Much remains unknown about the regulation of the different isoforms of BST2, which have distinct functions and vulnerabilities to viral antagonism, and the pathways exploited by HIV to counteract these forms. This proposal seeks to define the mechanisms of HIV counteraction of both isoforms of BST2 and the cellular modulation of their translation to better understand this host-virus arms race and develop new viral eradication strategies.
PI: Victoria Merritt, PhD
Title: Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) to Predict Post-Traumatic Epilepsy (PTE) in the Million Veteran Program (MVP) Cohort
Agency: DOD
Period: 07/01/2025-06/30/2028
Overview: Post-Traumatic Epilepsy (PTE) is a common complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI), but not all people who survive a TBI develop epilepsy. Thus, if we can predict who is at highest risk for developing PTE, we can design interventions to optimize functional outcomes after TBI and prevent PTE. This study involves phenotyping Veterans with PTE, developing a polygenic risk score (PRS) to predict risk of PTE, and identifying genetic biomarkers of PTE risk.
PI: Jenny Mao, MD
Title: Feasibility of Combining Grape Seed Extract and Milk Thistle Silymarin Extract for Lung Cancer Chemoprevention
Agency: DOD
Period: 05/15/2025-05/14/2029
Overview: This new Translational Research Award application will conduct a phase IIa randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled pilot clinical study to evaluate the feasibility of combining a grape seed procyanidin extract and a milk thistle silymarin extract for lung cancer chemoprevention in heavy former and active smokers. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the world and among veterans. Majority of lung cancers is caused by tobacco smoking. Despite advancements in anti-cancer therapy, the 5-yr survival rate remains dismal. The lack of effective therapy provides the impetus to search for alternative, safe and efficacious agents for lung cancer chemoprevention and prevent lung cancer development in at-risk individuals, such as heavy smokers and ex-smokers.
Ruth Harbecke, PhD
Title: Effect of Herpes Zoster Vaccine on Blood-Based Biomarkers of Dementia
Agency: NIH
Period: 04/01/2025-03/31/2026
Overview: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of zoster vaccination on serum-based biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration. These outcomes are neither the study’s primary endpoint nor pre-registered secondary endpoints. Any significant findings will, thus, be interpreted as suggestive rather than definitive evidence.
PI: John Guatelli, MD
Title: Basis of Serinc-Independent Enhancement of Infectivity by HIV-1Nef
Agency: DOD
Period: 01/03/2025-12/31/2026
Overview: HIV-1 Nef is an accessory protein that contributes to replication fitness, virion-infectivity, immune evasion, and virulence. Over three decades of research have yielded substantial progress in our understanding of these properties at many levels. Still, an important gap persists how Nef stimulates virion infectivity and viral propagation remains incompletely explained. Initial research on the infectivity-effect led to the realization that the viral receptor, CD4, is a potent inhibitor that Nef counteracts. But Nef stimulates infectivity even in the absence of CD4. This gap was filled - partly - by the SERINC proteins, particularly SERINC5, which like CD4 is a membrane protein and infectivity-inhibitor that is counteracted by Nef. But recently, we and others have observed that in at least two T cell lines, and in primary CD4-positive T cells, SERINC-counteraction is insufficient to account for the activity of Nef. We propose a high-risk/high-reward study aimed at identifying the missing protein or pathway that accounts for Nef’s contribution to viral infectivity and fitness.