University Of South Carolina At Columbia

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Project Summary: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect over 400 million people annually and are a leading driver of antibiotic use worldwide, contributing to the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance. Emerging evidence suggests that contaminated water may be an overlooked source of UTIs. This research will investigate whether drinking or bathing in contaminated water causes UTIs, with the potential to change our understanding of how these infections spread and how they can be prevented. The study is conducted on San Cristobal Island in the Galápagos, Ecuador, a model system with a limited, well-characterized water supply. No domestic U.S. site can replicate this combination of a defined water distribution network, geographic isolation that minimizes confounding variables, comprehensive UTI case capture through a single hospital, and the ability to separate drinking and bathing water exposures. Preliminary data from this site show a decrease in UTI rates following installation of a new water treatment plant, providing a strong scientific rationale for this work. The island is representative of communities in the United States and globally that face challenges with water quality and aging infrastructure. By identifying the environmental and behavioral factors that drive exposure to harmful bacteria in water systems, this research will directly inform strategies to improve water quality and prevent disease. Reducing waterborne infections is also critical to combating antibiotic resistance. Fewer infections mean less antibiotic use and slower development of resistant bacteria. To accomplish project goals, researchers will conduct a comprehensive study using complementary approaches. First, they will monitor water quality in households over time, collecting samples from water sources, treatment plants, distribution systems, and storage tanks, using machine learning models to predict when and where contamination occurs. Concurrently, they will conduct a case-control study comparing households where someone developed a UTI to similar households without these infections. Advanced genomic sequencing will be used to compare bacteria from patients’ samples and their household water to determine whether the same strains are present in both. The study will also examine antibiotic resistance patterns and use predictive models to assess the relationship between water exposure and UTIs. This integrated approach will provide a rigorous evaluation of waterborne uropathogens and identify potential interventions to reduce the risk of waterborne infections.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-09

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: The objective of this K23 career development grant is to help the applicant acquire the skills needed for an independent research career as an innovative implementation scientist focused on increasing equitable access to autism-specialized supports aligned with individual family needs within the context of complex service systems. It will achieve this by building on the candidate’s background in clinical science, developmental psychopathology, and intervention research with mentorship in health equity, intervention adaptation, mechanisms and system-level factors of implementation, and professional development. The IDEA Part C Early Intervention (EI) system is ideally situated to provide family- centered intervention to children from birth to three years. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is highly prevalent among children served by Part C. However, Part C EI providers receive little systematic training in areas of impairment related to ASD, including emotion dysregulation (e.g., meltdowns, aggression). These types of challenging behavior are a prominent aspect of ASD in toddlerhood, but are often misdiagnosed and over- pathologized in children of color, especially Black children. This proposed K23 will address these gaps in EI provider training and in family access to autism-specialized services by implementing a highly evidence-based practice (Parent Training) in Part C with toddlers with autism (Aim 1) as well as mechanistically understanding whether family and provider readiness (Aim 2), and system level characteristics (Aim 3) may enhance future high-quality Parent Training within Part C. With primary mentorship from Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, MD MPH, and Jane Roberts, PhD, and co-mentorship from Donna Coffman, PhD and a consultant team, the applicant will pursue training in: (1) implementation methods that foster healthcare equity; (2) adapting interventions for sustainable use within systems; (3) mechanisms of effectiveness and implementation (e.g., causal modeling, adaptive treatment design); (4) system-level implementation factors (e.g., cost effectiveness, policy); and (5) building a strong, grant-funded research program. Training in these areas will enhance and be enhanced by the completion of research aims: Aim 1, Assess the feasibility, acceptability, cultural responsiveness, and preliminary effectiveness of Parent Training versus EI practice as usual; Aim 2, Examine whether EIs’ and caregivers’ readiness to implement Parent Training strategies predicts their fidelity to and intent to use Parent Training; and Aim 3, Prepare for implementation at scale by identifying implementation supports for Parent Training within the Part C context. This proposal is aligned with the NIMH’s strategic objective 4.2.B., “Building models to scale-up evidence-based practices for use in public and private primary care, specialty care, and non-traditional settings.” Completing the substantive training and research goals within this K23 proposal will position the applicant as an independent researcher who conducts hybrid effectiveness-implementation trials of supports for both social communication and emotion regulation in public healthcare systems.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

This award concerns research in arithmetic statistics which is the branch of number theory which considers "arithmetic objects" such as number fields and ideal class groups, and asks questions such as how many there are or how large they can be. The subject interfaces with a large number of areas of ongoing mathematical research, and this project will focus on connections to Fourier analysis, which appear particularly ripe for further study and development. These connections will be developed both for their intrinsic value, as well as for their utility as building blocks in other parts of arithmetic statistics. The PI will also continue his development of coursework (with an associated book project), his efforts to invite a variety of external speakers to Columbia, and his outreach activities to high school students. Part of the research will consist of finite Fourier transform computations, further developing lines where the PI and his collaborators have enjoyed success in the past. Another part will improve error terms in various number field counting results, bypassing a known obstacle. The research will also study a variety of associated Sato-Shintani zeta functions outside their regions of absolute convergence, where Fourier analysis is the key to proving that they are defined at all. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Awards are made to the University of South Carolina, College of Charleston, and Dalton State College to enable digitization and dissemination, to public and professionals, of important data from collections of historical and modern moth specimens. In addition, historical photographs, letters, and artifacts relevant to the specimens will be made available publicly. The project will also provide training for undergraduate students in museum research, databasing, and natural history. These students will be given the opportunity to attend and present research at a local entomological conference. Our knowledge of the fauna across the United States is patchy, with certain important and diverse regions having little existing data available. The Southeastern Coastal Plain of Georgia and the Carolinas is exceptionally diverse in insects, yet few researchers have documented it. A notable exception was Richard Dominick, who led a massive collecting effort in South Carolina’s Santee Delta between 1965 and 1976. His collection of ~30,000 moths and butterflies is held at the University of South Carolina but has not been databased nor has any data from it ever made publicly accessible. This project’s primary aim is to photograph and database every specimen held in that collection. The second aim is to digitize modern collections from both the Santee Delta and other under sampled regions of South Carolina and Georgia (Sapelo Island and NW Georgia). In totality, this project will greatly increase the available knowledge of the insect fauna of the Southeastern United States. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY With support from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in NSF's Division of Materials Research, this project focuses on achieving fast and reversible control over the switching properties of stimuli-responsive materials. These properties are critical for developing and advancing a broad spectrum of current technologies, ranging from ultra-efficient, high-speed optoelectronics to photochromic catalysis and on-demand drug delivery systems. This project provides an understanding of fundamental principles behind the synthesis of materials with light-responsive building blocks, allowing control of their properties. The well-defined light-responsive materials proposed in this project enable such control by leveraging their cooperative response to external light sources, which allows for the precise switching of material properties. Besides fundamental impacts, this research program integrates workforce development and educational opportunities for a broad range of students, including, but not limited to, high school, graduate, and undergraduate students. TECHNICAL SUMMARY The synthesis of well-defined stimuli-responsive materials whose photophysical properties can be controlled orthogonally or cooperatively is driven by a wide range of applications, including the next generation of sensors, “smart” capacitors, heterogeneous photocatalysts, self-healing and recyclable materials, and artificial muscles. Despite the great interest in this class of materials, the fundamental principles that enable fast and reversible photoisomerization kinetics controlled orthogonally or cooperatively under one or multiple external stimuli such as light and/or heat are still underdeveloped. With support from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in NSF's Division of Materials Research, this work is focused on the primary scientific challenge of developing synthetic methodologies for preparing stimuli-responsive materials incorporating one or two photochromic moieties with rapid and adaptive photoisomerization kinetics. The preparation of materials that allow for (a) integration of distinct classes of photochromic linkers within the same platform, (b) facilitation of reversible isomerization of sterically demanding photochromic moieties due to intrinsic tailorable voids, (c) pore evacuation to enhance photoisomerization kinetics and rapid material response, and (d) precise tuning the photophysical properties through the use of orthogonal external stimuli will be carried out. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

NON_TECHNICAL: This project is supported by the Polymers Program of the Division of Materials Research. Adhesives are used in everything from buildings to cars, but many current products can have negative impacts on human health and the environment. This project uses plant-based compounds, such as polyphenols and vegetable oils, to create new types of adhesives that are both high-performing and biodegradable. The research will explore how the structure of these natural materials affects how well the adhesives bond and hold, with the goal of designing strong and sustainable alternatives to conventionally used materials. The work supports the national interest by creating and evaluating new adhesive materials and advancing manufacturing practices and promoting scientific progress in the important area of advanced polymeric materials. The project will enhance science education to everyone by incorporating research into university courses, developing new academic programs in polymer science, and engaging students from high school through graduate school in hands-on research. Public outreach activities, such as science workshops and demonstrations, will raise awareness of new earth-friendly materials and inspire future innovators. TECHNICAL: This research aims to develop fully biobased, high-performance adhesives by integrating polyphenol-derived epoxy resins with renewable phenolic compounds, epoxidized vegetable oils, and polycarboxylic acids. The study will systematically investigate structure-property relationships that govern both interfacial adhesion and cohesive strength. Polyphenols will serve as multifunctional reactive moieties to enhance adhesive performance, while natural carboxylic acids will be evaluated as non-toxic curing agents to avoid the use of synthetic hardeners. The project will employ advanced spectroscopic, thermal, and mechanical characterization techniques to elucidate molecular-level mechanisms of bonding and network formation. In addition, degradation pathways under catalytic hydrolysis and possible microbial conditions will be studied to assess environmental compatibility. By integrating polymer chemistry and materials science, the project will establish a fundamental framework for designing next-generation adhesives that are renewable, biodegradable, and suitable for a variety of industrial applications. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals, and certain legacy PFAS may pose health and environmental risks due to the strong chemical bonds. This project addresses the challenge of PFAS removal and conversion by integrating expertise in materials science, separations, reaction engineering, electrochemistry, process systems, multiscale modeling, artificial intelligence, and social science. Spanning Delaware, Alabama, and South Carolina, the project aims to build regional research capacity and infrastructure to support PFAS mitigation within a circular economy framework. Led by the University of Delaware, in collaboration with Delaware State University, University of Alabama at Huntsville, Alabama A&M University, University of South Carolina, Clemson University, and Benedict College, the project has the potential to revolutionize defluorination technologies across water, air, and soil, impacting medical, agricultural, and industrial sectors. Education and outreach efforts will train skilled educators, scientists, and engineers to tackle PFAS challenges and advance national health, prosperity, and economic growth. The project will employ a multi-scale research framework, integrating experiments and modeling, to create innovative knowledge and robust technologies for PFAS separation and conversion, aiming for near-zero fluoro-pollution. It will address critical knowledge gaps in PFAS concentration and defluorination within a circular economy context, while tackling engineering challenges, such as complex water matrices, pilot-scale testing, and environmental and cost analyses. The major research goals include: (i) advancing PFAS adsorption and electrochemical separation across diverse water sources; (ii) uncovering mechanisms for selective electrochemical and plasma-assisted PFAS reduction; and (iii) designing energy-efficient, modular systems that couple up-concentration with reduction processes. The project will strengthen STEM capacity and research infrastructure across three EPSCoR jurisdictions by building PFAS expertise, launching sustainable STEM education and training programs across seven partner institutions, and fostering long-term collaboration with national labs, industry, and communities to cultivate a diverse new generation of innovators and educators. This project is supported by the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (FEC), which supports interjurisdictional teams of EPSCoR investigators to perform research in topics that align with NSF priorities, with the goals of driving discovery and building sustainable STEM capacity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Non-technical Abstract: Achieving superconductivity under an ambience environment is one of the holy grails in physics because it would drastically improve energy efficiency by eliminating energy loss due to resistance. This project builds upon the complementary expertise of two scientists to identify signatures of superconducting pairing symmetries. The team aims to shed light on how various symmetries govern the onset of superconductivity in different classes of superconductors using a nonlinear optical measurement method called second harmonic generation. This technique is highly sensitive to symmetry changes in crystalline materials. Combined with other electronic and magnetic property measurements, the scientists can provide insights and guidance on how to potentially custom design materials capable of hosting superconductivity under less cold conditions. The research team is dedicated to attracting and engaging young minds to the field of physics through expanding outreach activities. The collaborative research offers necessary education for preparing undergraduate and graduate students for the next quantum technology revolution and the needed workforce for economic growth in South Carolina. Technical abstract: This research project is designed to experimentally investigate the bulk and surface physical properties of unconventional superconductors to expose new phases, especially broken symmetries. This project builds upon the complementary expertise of two scientists, in optical, electronic, and magnetic surface and bulk characterizations of selected layered materials that exhibit superconductivity, to explore the manifestations of broken symmetries below the superconducting transition temperature. The focus of this research project centers on using materials symmetry (space and time) and broken translational symmetry (surface and interface) as guiding principles for discovering and understanding the superconducting properties. As the electron pairing symmetry is inherently tied to the underlying electronic structure, the crystallographic and time-reversal symmetries can impose constraints on the pairing symmetry. Investigation of various symmetries can provide insights into the mechanisms leading to unconventional superconductivity. The combined skills uniquely position the team to distinguish between surface and bulk physical properties, as their similarities and differences can reveal fundamental aspects of superconductivity and guide the development of next-generation electronic technologies. Ultimately, this research is aimed to shed light on how electrons organize themselves to achieve superconductivity and potentially push the boundaries of known materials towards the discovery of new superconductors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Abstract Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that approximately 2 million people suffer from post-stroke chronic language problems (aphasia) in the United States. The standard treatment for chronic aphasia is speech therapy. However, the outcomes of speech therapy for chronic aphasia are often unsatisfactory, underscoring the need for advancements in therapeutic options. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has recently emerged as a promising method that can have synergistic effects when applied concurrently with speech therapy, significantly improving language outcomes. However, despite the potential transformative effect of tDCS as an adjuvant treatment for chronic aphasia, the existing literature is composed by small sample sizes or uncontrolled studies. From an evidence-based medicine perspective, these studies do not constitute Level 1 evidence and are not sufficient to prove superiority and justify the translation of tDCS to clinical use. Hence, a definitive Level 1 evidence study is strongly needed and this application addresses this critical knowledge gap. Our team has conducted the largest preliminary futility design clinical trial in tDCS and aphasia, in which we formally demonstrated that a definitive superiority clinical trial to assess adjuvant tDCS coupled with auditory-visual speech is feasible, warranted, and not futile. Leveraging this formal and rigorous foundation, this project will be a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial to compare auditory-visual speech therapy coupled with adjuvant active anodal tDCS (A-tDCS) versus speech therapy coupled with sham tDCS (S-tDCS). We will perform an adaptive Phase II/III design, in which the first portion of the study (Phase II) will determine the optimal dose of A-tDCS (1 mA versus 2 mA) and provide a go/no-go decision for Phase III. Phase III will test the definitive superiority of adjuvant A-tDCS at the optimal dose coupled with speech therapy versus speech therapy alone (S-tDCS) to improve naming among individuals with chronic Broca’s aphasia. The primary outcome measure will be the number of individuals who achieve a meaningful improvement in naming from baseline to 4 weeks post-therapy. Improvement in aphasia severity, communication confidence, discourse, and quality of life will be evaluated as secondary outcome measures. This project stands to be the first efficacy trial of tDCS for aphasia, paving the way for a new clinical treatment that would directly benefit patient care. By focusing on naming deficits in Broca’s aphasia, this trial will address a significant aspect of aphasia and lay the groundwork for future studies exploring tDCS applications for various types and stages of aphasia, ultimately enhancing the standard of care for millions affected by this condition.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Abstract: The objective of this project is to develop a novel modeling and simulation platform that addresses the crucial need for a quantitative understanding of micellar behavior as drug delivery systems. To achieve this, we will combine theoretical, computational, and experimental methods to create a new two-species constitutive model. This model will be capable of capturing the complex interplay between micellar structure and rheological behavior under various physiological conditions, including changes in pH and flow fields. The platform will leverage advanced numerical algorithms to simulate the dynamic evolution of micellar structures and their impact on macroscopic properties. By doing so, it will enable accurate predictions of drug release kinetics and other critical phenomena. To ensure the reliability of our platform, we will rigorously validate its results with experimental data. Ultimately, this platform will serve as a crucial asset for the development and refinement of micellar-based drug delivery systems. By providing accurate predictions and insights, it will expedite the creation of more effective and targeted therapies. This research project aims to address a significant challenge in the field of drug delivery by developing a novel modeling and simulation platform capable of accurately predicting the behavior of micellar systems under physiological conditions. Micelles, as versatile nanocarriers, offer immense potential for revolutionizing drug delivery by overcoming limitations associated with traditional therapies. However, our limited understanding of their complex interactions with external stimuli and their rheological properties hinders the development of effective micellar-based drug delivery systems. The proposed platform will provide a robust framework for simulating micellar behavior under diverse physiological conditions, such as pH and flow fields. By developing a new constitutive model that accounts for these factors, this research will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of micellar behavior in complex environments. The platform will also enable simulations that mimic the drug delivery process, providing valuable insights into the viability of micelles for cancer treatment and other applications.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Planet Earth has a magnetic field that makes compasses work. Similarly, we know that galaxies have remarkably strong magnetic fields. This program will study the origin of magnetic fields in galaxies, and how they came to be as strong as they are today. To achieve its scientific objectives, this program will use data obtained by the NSF-funded ALMA observatory. With ALMA, the investigators will observe galaxies that are actively forming stars to better understand the evolution of magnetic fields over cosmic time. This program will also support the PhD thesis of a graduate student. The research team will partner with existing organizations and establish a summer research program for formerly incarcerated undergraduate students. These students will receive training in physics, mathematics, and data analysis. This program will use ALMA observations of B-fields in five dusty-star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) at high redshift. By combining these observations with numerical magnetohydrodynamical cosmological simulations, this program will obtain analytical solutions, from first principles using spacetime metrics, to physically interpret the polarization properties in gravitationally lensed DSFGs. It will also measure the presence of large-scale ordered B-fields in rotating disks at z~4 and B-fields at the Epoch of Reionization and quantify the role of B-fields and star-formation activity across redshift. With a consistent approach to analyzing the ALMA polarimetric observations the investigators in this program will provide statistical results and breakthroughs in our understanding of cosmic magnetism. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Deep learning excels in error-tolerant applications with abundant data, but struggles in scientific settings where accuracy is critical, such as solving physics-based equations with limited observations. The core challenge lies in non-convex optimization, where traditional training lacks guarantees of reliability. This project develops a rigorous framework to control optimization accuracy by aligning iterative updates with mathematically sound “ideal descent paths” derived from the underlying physics. By dynamically adapting model complexity and certifying each step’s accuracy, we aim to overcome the unpredictability of non-convex optimization, enabling trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) for high-stakes applications in engineering, medicine, and beyond. This work provides foundational tools to ensure AI-driven scientific predictions are both accurate and actionable. This project addresses the fundamental challenge of uncertain optimization success in physics-informed deep learning. Non-convex objective landscapes severely impede on accuracy control when dealing with error-sensitive problems, especially those involving partial differential equations (PDEs). The proposed approach establishes a mathematically grounded framework that enforces optimization accuracy control through residual-based loss functions that are “variationally correct”. This means that the loss is always proportional to the current approximation error with respect to model-compliant norms derived from variational formulations of the underlying PDE model. This enables a posteriori error control, which is crucial in a new methodology based on an “ideal descent path” paradigm. This reinterprets standard training as a controlled “perturbation” of a provably convergent convex process in an ambient Hilbert space, given by the variational formulation. Each iterative step is monitored to meet carefully calibrated error tolerances anchored to the infinite-dimensional reference problem. Adaptive a posteriori error criteria dynamically trigger network expansions via natural gradient flows when required by precision thresholds. This prevents over-parameterization and guarantees physically valid solutions. A systematic integration of theoretically justified optimization, physics-compliant error control, and adaptive architecture growth gives rise to the first end-to-end framework for certifiably accurate physics-informed learning. The resulting methodology demonstrates transformative potential for high-stakes applications—from inverse problems to multiscale modeling—where conventional deep learning lacks reliability guarantees. By advancing the mathematical foundations of scientific machine learning, the project delivers practical tools for domains requiring rigorous uncertainty quantification. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2026 · 2025-08

Abstract Polymeric biomaterials play a significant role in modern biomedical sciences, including the application of being used as antimicrobial agents. Bacterial infections have evolved into one of the most urgent global health threats, leading to increased healthcare cost, destruction of local tissues, patient disability, morbidity, and even death. Antibiotics, one of the most important developments in modern medicine, have saved millions of lives and continue to serve as the major therapy to treat bacterial infections. However, commonly-used antibiotics have diminished antimicrobial efficacies and/or are ineffective against numerous multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens. If more-effective strategies are not taken to prevent and treat bacterial infections, it has been predicted that by 2050 infections could claim 10 million lives with costs approaching $100 trillion (USD) dollars worldwide. Facing the mounting crisis on the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, it is essential for innovating the continued use of existing antibiotics and for establishing a more sustainable portfolio of new antimicrobial therapies. We propose to develop platform biointerfaces technologies on a new class of cationic metallo- polymers. Macromolecular engineering enables controlled polymerization and chemoselective reactions, which allow the synthesis of polymers with precise compositions. These cationic metallo-polymers can substantially enhance the efficacy of antibiotics when they are combined. The antibiotics for antimicrobial screening include β-lactams, carbapenems, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, etc. We are particularly addressing persister cells in the MDR forms of Gram- negative pathogens, such as those designated as “urgent threats” and “serious threats” by CDC. Our approaches aim to design biodegradable polymer compositions that can install cationic cobaltocenium at the side chain, which can target cell membranes and outer leaflets. There are four objectives involved in this project: (1) to screen biodegradable polymer compositions for combinations with antibiotics against stationary phase bacteria or persisters; (2) to uncover synergistic mechanisms of action in polymer-antibiotic combinations; (3) to evaluate biofilm eradication and inhibition of lead combinations; (4) to evaluate cytotoxicity and conduct in vivo efficacy of infections. Our research and discoveries could provide a new polymeric biomaterial platform to reinvigorate common antibiotics to kill MDR bacteria.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Project Summary/Abstract The University of South Carolina (USC) seeks to establish a state-of-the-art 3D bioprinting shared facility, equipped with an advanced CELLINK bioprinting system to significantly enhance and modernize research capacity in biomedical sciences. This system will consist of three core components: the BIO X6, a versatile extrusion-based bioprinter with six printheads allowing for simultaneous deposition of multiple biomaterials; the BIONOVA X, a high-throughput digital light processing (DLP)-based bioprinter for rapid fabrication of complex 3D structures; and the LUMEN X, a high-precision, light-based bioprinter designed to create intricate microarchitectures such as vascular networks. This integrated system will enable the creation of physiologically relevant, multi-cellular tissue constructs, addressing critical gaps in USC's current research infrastructure and advancing research operations to a new level of sophistication and efficiency. The acquisition of this cutting-edge technology will enhance USC's research capabilities in critical areas such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, personalized therapeutics, and disease modeling. It will directly benefit multiple NIH-funded projects, including studies on cardiac tissue engineering, muscle regeneration, and neurodegenerative diseases. The system will allow researchers to create complex 3D tissue constructs, incorporating multiple cell types and biomaterials to replicate the heterogeneity of native human tissues. This capability is particularly important for the development of more accurate models for drug efficacy and toxicity testing, which are essential to reducing reliance on animal models and accelerating drug discovery pipelines. Furthermore, the ability to generate vascularized tissue constructs will enhance USC's ongoing research in fields like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. The 3D bioprinting facility will be a shared resource, managed by the Office of the Vice President for Research, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and cost-effective research across multiple academic units, including Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, School of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, College of Art and Sciences, and the Arnold School of Public Health. USC is committed to supporting this facility with dedicated staff and resources to ensure its long-term sustainability and optimal utilization. It will serve as a hub for training graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty in cutting-edge bioprinting technologies, enhancing USC's competitive position in securing high-impact research grants. Long-term, the facility aims to significantly strengthen USC's position in biomedical research by enabling the development of advanced tissue models, improving the efficiency of preclinical research, and fostering innovations in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine that have the potential to inform future clinical applications.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-08

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Globally, extreme weather events pose widespread potential negative health effects. Children are a particularly vulnerable population because the first few years of life is a critical period of rapid physical and brain development that is sensitive to environmental insults and sets the foundation for lifelong health, learning, and well-being. Poor child health and development may be exacerbated by extreme weather events, which threaten to disproportionately affect children already at risk of suboptimal health, aggravating the health disparities we see today. Extreme weather negatively affects Gross Domestic Product, income-generating activities, and population health outcomes of mortality and morbidity. Little is known, however, about the potential effects of weather-related events on child physical health, mental health, and development. Further, extreme heat and drought have been the principal weather variables explored in prior research, while flooding and storms have rarely been examined; all four are types of extreme weather events that can have devastating impacts on child health and development. Improved understanding of how extreme weather events are consequential for pediatric outcomes is necessary to inform weather and public health policies in the USA and other countries. The proposed study will use a multi-level repeated cross-sectional design with big data methods to investigate the impact of extreme weather on childhood health and development over the past two decades using seven rigorous national datasets that incorporate data on extreme weather events, socio- demographic, psychosocial, mental health, nutritional, and built environment measures and indicators. We will combine individual-level data on health (i.e., physical and mental) and development (i.e., language, behavior, socio-emotional) of children 0-5 years of age from the U.S. National Survey of Children’s Health with temperature, drought, flooding, and storm data from the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model, Evaporative Demand Drought Index, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration datasets. This combined dataset will then be merged with data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Current Population Survey, and the National Center for Health Statistics. We will then employ big data methods, including geospatial analyses and machine learning methods, to 1) understand the relationships between key measures and indicators of extreme heat, drought, flooding, and storms and suboptimal child health and development across the USA, and 2) explore mediators along the indirect paths for effects of extreme weather events on child health and development (i.e., built environment, caregiver physical and mental health, caregiving practices, income, access to healthcare and social protection, community health and economy, and food insecurity). The results of this study will lay the foundation for future analyses of data from other parts of the world and provide critical evidence for national and global policies tackling extreme weather and health.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-08

PROJECT SUMMARY Mast cells (MC) are innate immune cells that occupy a unique niche in tissues in which they reside as long-lived perpetrators of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated hypersensitivity and many other inflammatory responses. We have shown that MC initiate skin and lung inflammation through the rapid release of inflammatory mediators, including cell-attracting chemokines. This occurs, in part, in a FcεRI-independent manner through ligation of receptors (R) for a bioactive signaling lipid, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), and for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin present in most environmental antigens (Ag) penetrating the body. Engagement of MC-stimulating R signalosomes encompasses kinase phosphorylation/activation, ultimately leading to transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activation, linked to chemokine release. Little is known about the regulatory pathways halting MC activation to restore homeostasis. One of the mechanisms limiting inflammation and MC functions is through ubiquitination. E3 ubiquitin ligases attach ubiquitin chains to protein substrates for rapid removal of unwanted or damaged proteins and have been described as negative regulators of IgE-mediated signaling and subsequent mediator release by MC. Deficiency of the E3 ubiquitin ligase ITCH results in systemic inflammation of the mucosal surfaces, such as skin and lungs. Similar findings are described in human patients, including clinical manifestations of atopy. Thus, there is an unmet need to understand how ITCH regulates inflammation and MC biology. Our preliminary data show that primary MC express ITCH, which is predicted to interact with several MC-restricted enzymes. Moreover, ITCH negatively regulates inflammation by controlling the ubiquitin-editing enzyme TNF Alpha Induced Protein 3 (Tnfaip3/A20) function, thus NF-κB activation. ITCH is also predicted to interact with Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), an enzyme involved in MC activation that we also found is essential to STAT3 activation downstream of S1P signaling in MC (our preliminary data). The objectives of this application are to determine how ITCH affects MC intrinsic function in vitro and in vivo, and to identify ITCH-regulated targets in these pathways using primary MC. We anticipate that our proposed studies will provide novel mechanistic data delineating how ITCH, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, can regulate signaling mechanisms driving skin and lung inflammation and MC functions. These mechanistic insights will identify an actionable inflammation-enabling molecular target in ITCH as a regulator of MC reactivity, with the potential to prevent the onset of inflammation and progress to a diseased state.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

This project explores exciting new interactions between two central areas of mathematics - algebra and geometry - and their unexpected connections through physics. Algebra and geometry are foundational tools in mathematics, widely used in numerous scientific and engineering applications, such as computer science, data analysis, robotics, and theoretical physics. Historically, the interplay between algebraic equations and geometric shapes has led to powerful methods and profound insights, shaping much of modern mathematics and technology. In recent decades, researchers discovered surprising connections linking algebraic geometry, which studies shapes defined by polynomial equations, to symplectic geometry, an area crucial to physics and engineering. This project leverages these emerging connections to develop new mathematical tools that bridge algebra and geometry. Broader impacts of this research include significant training and mentoring activities. The project supports early-career researchers and graduate students, providing extensive professional development through workshops, virtual seminars, public lectures, and the creation of publicly available computational tools. On the technical side, the project aims to advance understanding in multigraded commutative algebra, toric geometry, and symplectic geometry. It addresses long-standing gaps and open questions in commutative algebra and toric geometry by introducing methods inspired by recent advances in homological mirror symmetry into purely algebraic contexts. The P.I.’s will explore new approaches to studying multigraded polynomial rings, aiming to uncover deeper structural properties that parallel classical results for standard graded polynomial rings. The project will develop algebraic analogues of effective symplectic geometry techniques, such as "stop manipulation," adapting these symplectic methods to algebraic settings. The project will also extend foundational results, including Orlov’s Theorem, to multigraded and toric settings, construct novel categorical structures that unify algebraic and geometric perspectives, explore applications to virtual resolutions and other questions involving shortest resolutions, and investigate extensions to broader classes of geometric objects through toric degenerations and natural generalizations from toric varieties. Furthermore, by establishing explicit links between algebraic constructions and Fukaya categories, the project will introduce new computational tools and theoretical approaches in symplectic geometry. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division is funding Dr. Nicholas Truex from the University of South Carolina to investigate a unique class of proteins, known as “protein switches”. Such proteins change their shape in response to small modifications to their amino acid sequence or changes in their environment. The ability of these proteins to change shape appears to play key roles in normal biological functions and diseases. This project will characterize synthetic protein switches with non-natural amino acids and designs to reveal the molecular principles of their behavior, which cannot be readily examined using natural proteins. In addition, the project will identify and characterize shape changing regions within eukaryotic proteins to expand our understanding of variations in the structures of natural proteins. The educational objective of the project is to provide graduate, undergraduate, and high school students with training in automated flow protein synthesis, physical biochemistry, spectroscopy, and molecular modeling. This project also includes a new outreach program, “Hidden Chemical Properties”, to excite K–12 students in STEM education and participation in the American Chemical Society Project SEED mentorship program to provide high school students with hands-on summer research experiences. This research project will systematically examine the molecular interactions that enable protein switches to adopt two distinct folded structures. By incorporating non-natural amino acids into protein switch designs, the study will dissect protein conformation and stability upon variations in side-chain interactions, hydrogen bonding, and electronic effects. Structural and energetic features will be characterized using experimental techniques, including circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry, NMR spectroscopy, and molecular modeling. The results will establish fundamental principles of protein folding and stability, enhance understanding of protein dynamics, and contribute new advances in protein design. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-08

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences (DDBS) at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy is home to more than 20 faculty members with active research programs in cancer and neuroscience. Nearly every faculty member in DDBS is supported by active NIH or NSF research grants. Moreover, the department hosts the Center for Targeted Therapeutics, which is supported by an NIH-COBRE grant totaling over $10 million from 2014-2024. However, this grant mechanism does not allow for large equipment purchases in its current phase. Since it was acquired in 2011, the Zeiss LSM 700 confocal microscope has been the main imaging resource for most of the research projects conducted at the. Researchers from DDBS and neighboring departments have become active users of the confocal imaging services. The expanding user base and established new research collaborations have contributed to the success of USC research communities. For example, our federal fiscal year 2020 federal funding was $4.2 million, while our most recent funding level for FY2023 was $14.8 million, with total NIH funding for FY2023 of $9,279,420. However, a few years ago, the old LSM 700 started to show signs of decline. Several repairs have slowed the process, but ultimately the microscope is becoming less and less functional. This application is a collaborative effort of main users from different USC departments to secure financial resources to acquire a replacement for this key instrument. It is essential for many active NIH-funded research projects as well as for many new grant proposals currently in progress. The requested Zeiss LSM 980 ($749,981.64) confocal microscope is the new generation of the Zeiss LSM product line, which can cover all current imaging activities while providing enhanced image quality and much-needed new imaging capabilities, including better spatial resolution, faster scans, and advanced spectral imaging and photomanipulation options.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-08

PROJECT ABSTRACT We aim to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of treating maternal periodontitis and its impact on short and long- term oral health status. Approximately 60-70% of pregnant women in the US report bleeding gums, but only 44% of them visit a dentist during pregnancy. Periodontal inflammation left untreated can lead to further tissue destruction, tooth loss, and have a significant impact on overall maternal and child health. Cost is the major obstacle to dental care access, and poorer women are most likely to require oral care but least likely to receive it. Although the clinical and cost effectiveness of non-surgical periodontal treatment (e.g., scaling and root planning (SRP)) has been established in general adult populations in the US, no such analysis has been conducted among pregnant women. Therefore, a study is required to determine the financial feasibility of providing oral healthcare to all pregnant women, as planned by the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services. We will use data from the Obstetrics and Periodontal Therapy (OPT) study, where non-surgical periodontitis treatment consisting of SRP or no treatment was randomly assigned to mothers with periodontitis. This study provides detailed clinical measures of oral health, such as data on inflammatory markers and biological pathogens, as well as rich baseline data on demographic characteristics, health behaviors, biomarkers, and medical history. We will evaluate the short-term impact of SRP by assessing the cost per mm of clinical attachment level gain and periodontal pocket depth reduced from SRP versus control. We will also estimate the cost savings from SRP at the end of the OPT study. The long-term impact of periodontal destruction, tooth loss, and tooth life expectancy will be estimated from published studies by converting clinical attachment level and periodontal pocket depth into an expected number of teeth lost over 4 years and tooth life expectancy. The cost of treatment and procedures will be estimated from the Survey of Dental Fees 2022 published by the American Dental Association. To identify responders versus non-responders, we will use machine learning to analyze baseline (pre-treatment) characteristics to predict those who are most likely to benefit from the SRP treatment among pregnant women. A targeted intervention is likely more cost-effective and financially sustainable, so we will then estimate the cost effectiveness of SRP among likely responders versus control. Conducting cost-effectiveness analyses of treating maternal periodontitis can inform policies and programs to facilitate access to oral health care and improve oral health outcomes among expectant mothers, especially those facing financial barriers such as Medicaid-enrolled pregnant women.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

The basic problem of extremal combinatorics asks how large a combinatorial structure can be while avoiding some forbidden property. This project studies extremal problems in graph theory and hypergraph theory, specifically those related to long paths and cycles. Of particular interest are Hamiltonian cycles--cycles that visit every vertex in a graph, and other related structures. These problems are fundamental in graph and hypergraph theory, and have applications to operations research, circuit design, optical network design, and more. Graduate students will also be advised as part of this project. Determining if a given graph has a Hamiltonian cycle is a well-known NP-complete problem. Proving sufficient conditions for the existence of such cycles is among the most well-studied topics in combinatorics. This project will explore classical extremal problems for Hamiltonian cycles and related topics such as pancyclicity, long cycles, and other spanning substructures. The PI will also study analogous problems for Berge cycles and other Berge structures in hypergraphs, utilizing tools from graph theory to prove new results in hypergraph theory. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

With the support of the Chemical Synthesis (SYN) program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Dmitry Peryshkov of the University of South Carolina at Columbia is studying the development of metal-free reagents and catalysts for the functionalization of organic compounds. This project will focus on a novel approach to catalysis, the process that underpins the production of the majority of manufactured chemical products, including polymers and pharmaceuticals. Traditionally, many chemical processes depend on precious metals like ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium, which are expensive, scarce, and often toxic. Professor Peryshkov will investigate and design the principles to replace these metals with metal-free systems that can carry out similar chemical transformations in a more sustainable and cost-effective way. These new non-metal reagents will be designed to be "ambiphilic," meaning they can both donate and accept electrons. This dual ability will mimic the behavior of transition metal catalysts and allow breaking and making of chemical bonds in a way typically reserved for metals. This project will involve the use of advanced inorganic and organic synthetic techniques as well as theoretical chemistry methods and will serve as a foundational training ground for undergraduate and graduate students to prepare them for the entry into the future science and technology workforce. The team of graduate and undergraduate students led by Professor Peryshkov will carry out the synthesis of the novel phosphines decorated with boron cluster groups and study of their ambiphilic reactivity. The ability of boron clusters to accepts electrons will be the key to impart electrophilic behavior onto normally nucleophilic trigonal phosphorus centers. The activation of N-H and B-H bonds in metallomimetic manner by the redox-active phosphines will open a pathway for metal-free sustainable new reactions such as hydroboration and hydroamination of unsaturated substrates. Furthermore, the new ambiphilic phosphines will be explored as new reagents for important chemical processes such as cyanation and azidation. A major objective will be to design these systems to be recyclable and catalytic. The properties of ambiphilic phosphines will be controlled via chemical changes to their modular structure. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-08

PROJECT SUMMARY Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a severe condition characterized by non-compliant lung, hypoxemia, protein-rich pulmonary edema, and cytokine storm. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted ARDS as a significant public health burden that annually affects approximately 200,000 patients in the US with a 35-45% mortality rate. ARDS develops via a myriad of etiologies, though the most common underlying conditions in the US include pneumonia (44.9% of all cases) and nonpulmonary sepsis (46.8% of all cases). The gram-positive bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most commonly isolated pathogens in sepsis patients. S. aureus produces superantigens (SAgs), including Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB). SEB exposure can induce ARDS by activating up to 30% of the naïve T cell pool through the formation of non-specific cross-linkages between antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and T cells. The receptors involved in this interaction are classically believed to include Vβ TCRs, CD28, CD80/CD86, and MHC class II, though some studies suggest that MHC class II may be dispensable for inflammatory response. Interestingly, recent studies have demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein contains a superantigen-like motif similar to SEB; additionally, the CDC has classified SEB as a Category B Biological Agent due to its ease of dissemination and inhalation toxicity. Therefore, murine models of SEB-induced ARDS can provide valuable insights into S. aureus and SARS-CoV-2 infection treatment, ARDS pathogenesis and prevention, and biological weapon response. My preliminary data demonstrates that the H2k C3H/HeJ mouse strain, but not the H2b C57BL/6J strain, are susceptible to SEB-induced ARDS, which suggests that H2 haplotype may play a role in superantigen response. Therefore, the central hypothesis of the proposed project is that C3H/HeJ mice are susceptible to SEB-induced ARDS due to alterations in MHC Class II, Vβ TCRs, CD28, or CD80/CD86, which allow SEB to more effectively form cross-linkages between APCs and T cells, thereby increasing SAg-mediated T cell activation and subsequent myeloid infiltration to the alveoli. To test this hypothesis, I propose the following specific aims: 1) Establish the cellular and molecular mechanisms of SEB-induced ARDS pathogenesis in C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J mouse strains; 2) Determine whether strain-specific differences in MHC Class II, Vβ TCRs, CD28, or CD80/CD86 drives differential response to SEB in C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J strains. The proposed experiments align with my goals for fellowship training and will allow me the opportunity to gain expertise in high-throughput immune cell profiling, transcriptome analysis, and in vivo approaches to elucidate immune response at the respiratory site. Furthermore, the proposed professional development plan will propel my career goals by enhancing my research independence.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

It is estimated that approximately one-third of the world’s gross domestic product involves passes through a catalytic processes at some stagereactor, and the majority of industrial chemistry relies on catalysts. Industrial catalytic processes—such as those used in the production of commodity and specialty chemicals, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, and pollution abatement—form the foundation of the global economy and standard of living. Most of these processes utilize heterogeneous catalysts. A significant portion of heterogeneous catalyststhese includesare supported metal catalysts, such aslike those used in automobile catalytic converters. These systems consist of nanoparticles made from expensive metals like platinum and rhodium, which are anchored onto stable, highly porous supports (e.g., aluminum oxide). In a catalytic converter, harmful exhaust gases—including carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and unburnt hydrocarbons—are adsorbed onto the surface of these metal nanoparticles. There, they undergo chemical reactions that transform them into less harmful products: carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen. Due to the high cost of the metals involved, the nanoparticles are engineered to be as small as possible to maximize surface area and catalytic activity. However, without anchoring the particles onto a support, these nanoparticles tend to coalesce at elevated temperatures, which significantly reduces their surface area and effectiveness. Developing improved supported metal catalysts is therefore both time-consuming and cost-intensive with the current state-of-the-art. The Center for Rational Catalyst Synthesis (CeRCaS) is tackling this challenge by seeking to understand the fundamental chemistry and engineering principles involved in synthesizing ultrasmall metal nanoparticles on supports. In systems requiring two metals—such as catalytic converters—CeRCaS also focuses on strategies to position both metals in close proximity to enable synergistic activity. These efforts aim to create a more rational, scientifically guided, and streamlined approach to catalyst development across the many industries that rely on heterogeneous catalysis. CeRCaS is composed of three university sites: The University of South Carolina (USC) serves as the lead site and houses the broadest range of catalyst synthesis methods along with high-throughput catalyst evaluation capabilities. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is the second site and contributes specialized expertise in pharmaceutical catalysts, reactions, and processes. The third site, jointly operated by the University of California at Davis and Berkeley (UCD/B), provides deep expertise in metal/zeolite catalyst synthesis, which is particularly relevant to petrochemical applications. Together, these institutions bring complementary strengths to advance the science and engineering of heterogeneous catalyst design. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

With the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Linda S. Shimizu of the University of South Carolina will develop methods to control the stacking of tiny donut-shaped molecules into straw-like nanotubular structures. Nanotubes are approximately 100,000 times smaller than the width of a strand of hair. Shimizu's work is inspired by biological systems that can form well-defined, low-energy assemblies as well as higher-energy structures. The Shimizu group will study how these small macrocycles assemble and use different strategies to control their growth, size, and stability. The aim is to develop precise control over the nanotubes, which can then be used to study how size impacts chemical processes, especially those triggered by light. This work could potentially provide innovative tools and unlock new applications in electronic and smart materials. This project also emphasizes education and mentorship at all academic levels. It promotes public interest in science through a chemistry demonstration program that visits South Carolina K-12 classrooms, supports a summer tutorial series for graduate students, and offers hands-on research opportunities for students from high school to Ph.D. candidates. These efforts will help recruit a skilled workforce and prepare future scientists to address emerging challenges in science and technology. Professor Linda Shimizu's team will study the pathway complexity in the supramolecular assembly of urea macrocycles. Specifically, her group will target three innovative objectives: 1. They will examine the mechanisms of supramolecular polymerization in different solvents to regulate the size, dispersity, and dynamics of the assemblies of bis-urea macrocycles in solution. 2. They will develop templates to stabilize aggregates of specific sizes and investigate methods to maintain kinetically trapped and meta-stable states. Seeded living polymerization will be employed to produce nanotubes with precise lengths. 3. Professor Shimizu will investigate how nanotube length impacts chemical processes, including photoinduced radical formation, molecular guest exchange, and reactions within these nanotubes. This work will address fundamental questions about energetic landscapes in supramolecular assembly. Establishing control over meta-stable states and tuning assembly-disassembly dynamics will enable transitions between supramolecular polymers, nanotubular host-guest complexes, and monomers. Achieving this precision will advance our knowledge of assembly dynamics, provide innovative tools to study processes at the nanoscale, and unlock new applications in electronic and smart materials. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.