University Of Rhode Island

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-06

Part 1: Non-technical summary Trait differences between males and females are widespread across the animal kingdom. Because these traits often lead to trade-offs that affect reproductive success and survival, understanding them is a fundamental question in biology. Leopard seals are large predators in the Southern Ocean and an extreme example of female-biased dimorphism in mammals, where females are the larger than males. Yet, the effects of these size differences are unknown. This project will investigate the causes and consequences of female-biased dimorphism in leopard seals and will generate new data on the life history, reproductive physiology, and breeding biology of this important and enigmatic polar predator. This information is critical for understanding leopard seals' past, present, and future—from how the species evolved to predicting their resilience in an era of unprecedented environmental change. The project also has a strong education component. It aims to increase the participation of people from historically excluded groups in polar biology by training, mentoring, and supporting two postdocs, two grad students, and 25+ undergraduates. It will also engage students and the public in scientific research through outreach activities at local, national, and international scales. Part 2: Technical summary Trait differences can lead to important trade-offs that affect biological processes at multiple scales, from intraspecific differences in fitness to species-level life history strategies. Leopard seals exhibit an extreme form of female-biased size dimorphism. However, for solitary, wide-ranging polar species like leopard seals, it is difficult to study their life history and reproductive biology. As a result, it is unknown how leopard seals' size dimorphism relates to other aspects of their biology. The goal of this project is to examine fitness trade-offs associated with female-biased dimorphism in leopard seals. Specifically, this study will (1) assess differences in male and female morphology and life history, (2) compare reproductive physiology between males and females, (3) investigate their breeding behavior and reproductive activities, and (4) conduct a cross-clade synthesis of female-biased dimorphism in mammals. The team will analyze existing specimens from biological collections and conduct field efforts to generate novel, complementary data. This information is critical for understanding how leopard seals evolved to survive and persist in the Southern Ocean. The research aligns with NSF's Strategic Vision for Investments in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research and supports ongoing efforts to create and utilize open polar research software, as well as data and sample reuse in polar research. This work relies on strong collaborations across academia, non-profits, and government institutions worldwide, and the results will be broadly shared with global audiences. This project also aims to increase the participation and retention of people from historically excluded groups in polar research. Specifically, the goals are to (1) recruit and train a diverse, inclusive, and supportive research team, (2) lead a research-intensive undergrad course (SEAL Lab), and (3) provide grad students and postdocs with hands-on leadership and mentoring experiences. The project will engage students and the public in polar research, as students will conduct research in museum, field, and lab-based settings. 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 · 2025-06

The Siberian Arctic ecosystem is experiencing significant changes due to increasing freshwater input, changes in water mass distribution, and varying anthropogenic pressures. This proposal integrates key microscale biogeochemical (MPs, trace metals) and food web (phytoplankton, zooplankton, and the microbial loop) components, to provide an understanding of how these environmental processes interact and impact ecosystem services (e.g. productivity) within the region. The observations will be conducted on the planned for the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System (NABOS) cruise. Key advancements include determining the role of riverine inputs in delivering trace nutrients and MPs to Arctic seas, how sea ice processes dictate the distribution of these elements and compounds, and how these influences control net ecosystem productivity and lower trophic level species composition. This research will provide novel, full water column measurements of trace metals, MPs, and lower trophic level dynamics, including species composition, phytoplankton pigments, total and active cell abundances, net microbial productivity and respiration rates in the East Siberian and Laptev seas. Specifically, we will assess the sources and sinks of trace metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cd, Zn, Pb) and MPs in the coastal Arctic marine ecosystem; describe microbial (bacteria, phytoplankton) species composition and metabolism across varying biogeochemical and salinity regimes; assess phytoplankton taxonomic composition, physiological health, and productivity; and quantify MP microbial colonization and ingestion by zooplankton. 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 · 2025-06

Diatoms are microscopic algae that live in oceans and other aquatic environments. Different diatom species thrive in different conditions, and so diatom fossils can be used as historical records of ocean environments, including the availability of nutrients such as nitrogen and silicon that are important components of ocean ecosystems. This RAPID proposal aims to understand how environmental conditions and the species of diatom may impact these records. The investigators will use recently collected samples from the Southern Ocean to determine how different species react to varying amounts of nitrogen and silicon. These culture-derived data will then be used to ground-truth field-collected data. This is expected to improve our use of diatom fossil information to understand past ocean conditions. Diatom fossils provide information on past surface ocean nutrient conditions through the analysis of cell-bound nitrogen and silicon isotopic composition of frustules. Recent data suggested that simple fractionation models do not always explain spatial trends or seasonal variation. To improve understanding of isotopic fractionation variability, this project aims to evaluate gene expression, diatom silicification, and diatom-bound nitrogen isotope values under varying nutrient conditions using recently collected, difficult to maintain Antarctic marine diatom isolates. The isolates were collected during the 2024-2025 spring diatom bloom in the Southern Ocean. In addition to accomplishing combined measurements of isotopic relationships and transcriptional response to nutrient conditions for understudied environmentally relevant diatom species, this work will aid in ground truthing in situ cruise data and improve reconstruction of past surface ocean conditions. 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 · 2025-06

The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) is an enigmatic apex predator in the rapidly changing Southern Ocean. As top predators, leopard seals play a disproportionately large role in ecosystem functioning and act as sentinel species that can track habitat changes. How leopard seals respond to a warming environment depends on their adaptive capacity, that is a species’ ability to cope with environmental change. However, leopard seals are one of the least studied apex predators on Earth, hindering our ability to predict how the species is responding to polar environmental changes. Investigating the adaptability of Antarctic biota in a changing system aligns with NSF’s Strategic Vision for Investments in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research. This research, which is tightly integrated with educational and outreach activities, will increase diversity in STEM and Antarctic science by recruiting students from historically underrepresented groups in STEM and providing training, mentoring, and educational opportunities at an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution and a Historically Black Colleges and Universities campus. This project will improve STEM education and science literacy via museum collaborations, creation of informational videos and original artwork depicting the research. The proposal supports data and sample reuse in polar research and long-term reuse of scientific data, thereby maximizing NSF’s investment in previous field research and reducing operational costs. The researchers will investigate leopard seals adaptive capacity to the warming Southern Ocean by quantifying their ability to move (dispersal ability), adapt (genetic diversity), and change (plasticity). Aim 1 of the research will determine leopard seals’ dispersal ability by assessing their distribution and movement patterns. Aim 2 will quantify genetic diversity by analyzing genetic variability and population structure and Aim 3 will examine phenotypic plasticity by evaluating changes in their ecological niche and physiological responses. The international, multidisciplinary team will analyze existing data (e.g., photographs, census data, life history data, tissue samples, body morphometrics) collected from leopard seals across the Southern Ocean over the last decade. Additionally, land- and ship-based field efforts will generate comparable data from unsampled regions in the Southern Ocean. The research project will analyze these historical and contemporary datasets to evaluate the adaptive capacity of leopard seals against the rapidly warming Southern Ocean. This research is significant because changes in the distribution, genetic diversity, and ecophysiology of leopard seals can dramatically restructure polar and subpolar communities. Further, the research will expand understanding of leopard seals’ ecological role, likely characterizing the species as flexible polar and subpolar predators throughout the Southern Hemisphere. The findings of this research will be relevant for use in ecosystem-based management decisions—including the design of Marine Protected Areas— across three continents. This study will highlight intrinsic traits that determine species’ adaptive capacity, as well as showcase the dynamic links between polar and subpolar ecosystems. 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 · 2025-06

Severe movement disabilities, such as paralysis and degenerative conditions, can have a devastating impact on the lives of people. For those with limited mobility, restoring their ability to reach-and-grasp is a top priority. This CAREER award supports research to create advanced, user-friendly assistive artificial intelligence (AI) systems that let individuals with severe movement disabilities control robotic devices. The system works with the user, boosting their limited physical input to complete difficult tasks such as reaching for and grasping objects. Unlike brain implants, this approach avoids surgery, reduces mental fatigue, and is designed to be more affordable and accessible. The project also prioritizes education and community impact by offering internships for K-12 students, hack-a-thon events, public demonstrations to raise awareness about motor impairment rehabilitation, and developing new courses at the university level. This project is jointly funded by the Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering Program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The goal of this project will be accomplished through three research thrusts: 1) to formalize and optimize the user agency and satisfaction features for end-users when interacting with a complex robotic arm using shared autonomy paradigms; 2) to develop closed-loop context-aware deep reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms to blend and optimize a user’s low-dimensional input with robot intelligence to allow for complex task completion; and 3) to validate our closed-loop algorithms by having end-users with paralysis to complete complex manipulation tasks using our assistive robotic arm. This project will construct a state-of-the-art framework to develop multimodal, human-centered shared autonomy AI paradigms that empower individuals with severe paralysis to control assistive robotic devices with high degrees of freedom (DOF). Unlike traditional shared control systems that rely on subject-dependent, high-cognitive-load interfaces (e.g., brain implants), this framework employs generalizable, noninvasive control methods with low cognitive demands. By leveraging simulated intelligent assistance and context-aware deep RL approaches, the project will develop adaptive shared autonomy algorithms that dynamically adjust to user needs, ensuring optimal control of high-DOF assistive robotic devices. This framework has the potential to support various noninvasive input modalities, as well as low-bandwidth neural and muscle signals, offering a versatile, scalable, and user-friendly solution for robotic assistance in upper-limb restoration. 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 · 2025-06

PROJECT SUMMARY Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetic disease characterized by increased risk for bone marrow failure and cancer, with few therapeutic options. In recent years, central nervous system defects have become increasingly observed among FA patients. These include early-onset progressive and irreversible neurological decline. These neurological manifestations have been collectively coined Fanconi Anemia Neurological Syndrome or FANS. Importantly, the molecular etiology of FANS is unknown. Recent omics approaches from our laboratory have uncovered mechanistic links between the FA proteins and the nervous system. Using ChIP-seq, we have discovered that the FANCD2 protein binds to numerous large neural genes, including genes that function in neuronal differentiation, migration, and cell-cell adhesion. RNA-seq analysis has also revealed differential expression of many of these genes in FA patient cells. Importantly, many FANCD2 target genes are genetically linked to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, and intellectual disability, as well as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/RD). Our preliminary findings suggest a role for the FA pathway in the maintenance of genome stability during neural stem and progenitor cell expansion during neurogenesis. Defects in this process are highly likely to lead to nervous system dysfunction across the lifespan, characteristic of FANS. In this R15 AREA application, we will use the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to study the molecular etiology of FANS. Three specific aims are proposed; In aim 1, we will examine the roles of orthologs of several FA proteins in nervous system function across the lifespan using behavioral paradigms linked to neuronal subclasses associated with human neurological disorders. In aim 2, we will generate FA animals expressing GFP-labeled cholinergic, dopaminergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic neurons, and neurons will be analyzed for numerical and structural defects using confocal microscopy. We will also perform neuron-specific RNA-seq analysis to determine which genes/pathways are differentially expressed between wild-type and FA transgenic animals. In aim 3, to gain insights into the mechanisms by which the FA pathway maintains genome stability during neurogenesis, we will use PacBio long-read sequencing to examine the role of the FA pathway in the suppression of genomic structural variation. For FANS and AD/RD, there is an urgent need to identify molecular targets to prevent, delay, and/or ameliorate clinical manifestations. Our studies could lead to the identification of new molecular targets linked to FANS and AD/RD, and open new avenues of potential therapeutic intervention.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2026 · 2025-05

Project Summary/Abstract Amid a national overdose epidemic, treatment rates for opioid use disorder (OUD) remain concerningly low, indicating significant barriers to care. Veterans experience distinct health disparities, heightening their vulnerability to opioid use, including their risk for OUD and opioid overdose, yet nearly 60% of Veterans with OUD do not receive OUD treatment. While medications to treat OUD (MOUD) (e.g., buprenorphine) are highly effective, use of MOUDs among Veterans is low. Stigma has been identified as a barrier to MOUD treatment, impacting both treatment decisions and patient experiences. Research on stigma related to MOUD (i.e., intervention stigma) has primarily focused on the general population, used qualitative methods, and surveyed clinicians who don't prescribe MOUD. Additionally, we have a limited understanding of how comorbid substance use may compound stigma and influence clinicians' beliefs about MOUD and treatment decisions, a crucial question given the increasing rates of overdoses involving multiple substances. Consistent with NIDA priorities on stigma reduction, there is a need to further understand stigma factors affecting MOUD treatment access and utilization among Veterans. This study addresses a critical gap in the literature by conducting mixed-methods analyses with secondary data using quantitative data from a sample of VHA buprenorphine prescribers that examined clinician characteristics, attitudes, and prescribing practices and semi-structured interviews from a sample of Veterans with OUD that explored barriers and facilitators to MOUD. This project is significant in its goal to identify potential targets for interventions that reduce stigma and increase access to MOUD treatment for Veterans. This project is innovative in its use of an expansive mixed-methods approach that captures both clinician and patient perspectives to understand how stigma factors impact OUD treatment. The proposed study will utilize a patient-centered mixed-method approach to develop profiles of buprenorphine prescribers based on MOUD intervention stigma factors and explore demographic predictors of profiles and the association of profiles with specific MOUD treatment decisions across vignettes of different patient profiles of varying complexity and comorbid conditions (e.g., SUDs) (Aim 1) and qualitatively explore Veteran's perceptions experiences with intervention stigma and OUD treatment (Aim 2). Proposed work, contextualized by patient perceptions, will specifically: a) link clinician stigma factors related to MOUD to treatment approaches and, 2) provide valuable guidance for who stigma reduction interventions may be most needed and factors to address including both at the individual level and community level. The goal of this proposal is to provide the Applicant with training experiences that will improve her content area knowledge, analytic skills, and scientific communication, which are vital to flourishing as an independent researcher. The environment at the University of Rhode Island, including data analysis software, grant support, and an excellent mentorship team with content expertise, provide the ideal setting for the successful completion of the proposed project.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2026 · 2025-05

SUMMARY Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of highly fluorinated aliphatic compounds widely used in commercial applications such as food packaging, textiles, and non-stick cookware. Exposure to the legacy PFAS perfluorosulfonic acid (PFOS) exposure is associated with hepatotoxicity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and lipid dysregulation. PFOS and other long-chain PFAS possess serum half-lives of ~3-8 years in humans, and their elimination half-life is hypothesized to result from tight binding to abundant serum and tissue proteins that are known to bind fatty acids and xenobiotics. Albumin, the most abundant plasma protein, is hypothesized to play a key role in PFAS retention, contributing to the long elimination half-lives observed in humans. This hypothesis is based on in vitro studies using purified protein and has never been verified under physiological conditions in vivo, where other macromolecules (e.g., immunoglobulins) are present that potentially bind PFAS. Our preliminary data demonstrated that plasma PFOS levels are lower in mice lacking albumin (Alb-/-), confirming the long-held theory that albumin is a crucial binding protein for PFOS in the body. However, we have observed that PFOS still binds and is retained in mice lacking albumin, suggesting additional binding mechanisms, possibly involving immunoglobulins, as indicated by our in vitro binding studies. Albumin also modulates liver pathophysiology and contributes to fatty acid balance. Our pilot data indicate that albumin is a potential mediator for PFOS-induced liver effects and may contribute to PFAS-induced adverse liver effects in humans. Aim 1 will determine whether albumin is a key factor for PFAS distribution among mouse plasma and tissues and associated elimination half-lives. We will determine PFAS tissue accumulation in Alb-/- and wild-type mice (Alb+/+), which is conceptually innovative for the PFAS field. Using in vitro binding assays, we will quantify binding of novel and emerging PFAS to tissues from Alb+/+ and Alb-/- mice and to plasma samples from human with disease-associated alterations in plasma protein levels. Aim 2 will investigate the role of albumin as mediator of PFAS-induced adverse liver effects and hepatoxicity. Because albumin binds fatty acid, we hypothesize that lack of albumin will increase PFAS-induced fatty acid update by liver and steatosis in albumin deficient mice. Aim 3 will determine the impact of genetic and disease-related variations in albumin and globulin levels on PFAS exposure and susceptibility to hepatotoxicity in humans. We will use a physiologically-based toxicokinetic (PBTK) model parameterized with data from Aim 1 and our previous work to evaluate how these variations influence PFAS distribution, accumulation, and elimination, identifying populations at higher risk for PFAS-induced liver diseases. Outcome of Proposed Aims: PFAS tend to show high tissue and blood protein binding in vitro, however our rigorous in vivo studies will determine whether albumin is a relevant factor for the physiologic response of the liver to PFAS, and whether albumin is relevant for tissue binding when other macromolecules like immunoglobulins are present. The outcome of this work is to define whether albumin is a key factor for PFAS-induced hepatoxicity and bioaccumulation, compared to other macromolecules like immunoglobulins. This R01 proposal will serve as a basis for further animal studies combined with toxicokinetic modeling in the context of PFAS accumulation and hepatotoxicity.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-04

Geohazards pose large risks at geologically active continental margins. These geohazards are interconnected and thus difficult to study in isolation. The goal of this project is to bring together experts to develop plans for an integrated array of instruments to observe these hazards. The array will be designed using Chile as a case study. This is a unique location where frequent events and existing networks provide a global understanding of interacting hazards. Teams of experts in computer modeling and technical planning will design sub-arrays for earthquake, volcanic, and landslide observations. Teams will also compile new catalogs of earthquakes and landslide susceptibility in the study area. The teams will meet in a 3-day workshop to synthesize results. Broad input from the scientific community will be solicited through a series of webinars. New models and catalogs will be shared openly through the SZ4D website and data repositories to benefit communities exposed to subduction-related hazards in the U.S. and internationally. Subduction of ocean lithosphere results in the largest earthquakes, volcanic activity, and landscapes highly prone to destructive landslides. For decades research related to subduction and related geohazards has proceeded piecemeal. This research will provide the basis for an overarching framework for integrated studies that can directly address the linkages between earthquake, volcano, tsunami, and landslide geohazards. This award will support a series of modeling studies and technical planning that will be used to design three overlapping arrays of instrumentation at the Chile Subduction Zone. Chile is unique in combining a high level of geological activity and good logistical access. The instrument array will be designed to observe a broad range of earthquake, volcanic, and landslide processes. The work is organized into ten work packages. Five will assess and plan various aspects of the seismic detection and geodetic network. Two will address sediment and hydrologic transport for landslides. Two will address using seismicity to forecast volcanic processes. The final work package will bring together the others with a three-day workshop and with scientific community input via a series of webinars. The connection between this research and the SZ4D initiative makes very clear the connection of this planning activity to benefit people who live with subduction-related geohazards in the U.S. and globally. 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 · 2025-03

The University of Rhode Island (URI) will support oceanographic technical services on R/V Endeavor operated as part of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF), which is scheduled by the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS). As part of their basic operations, URI will provide shipboard technicians on each seagoing research project to support basic services. Technicians will maintain, calibrate and provide for qualified users, items from their pool of shared-use research instrumentation. Research vessels in the ARF provide support for researchers from a variety of federal and state agencies, as well as some private sponsors. All users (or the appropriate funding agencies) share support costs for basic technical services on the vessel equally, via a day-rate, with each paying a share of the costs based on fractional usage of the vessel. This project provides infrastructure support for scientists to use the vessel and its shared-use instrumentation in support of their NSF-funded oceanographic research projects (which individually undergo separate review by the relevant research program of NSF). The acquisition, maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers. 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 · 2025-03

Coastal communities face escalating challenges from rising sea levels and intensifying storms, underlining the urgent need for effective and sustainable shoreline protection strategies. Ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses, and wetlands serve as natural barriers against these threats, with mangroves being particularly effective due to their dense and complex root systems. These root structures help dissipate wave energy, slow flood currents, and reduce coastal erosion. However, despite their proven potential, mangroves remain underutilized in engineered coastal defense strategies due to limited understanding of their interaction with hydrodynamic forces. This project aims to address this knowledge gap by experimentally investigating how mangrove root structures influence wave and current dynamics. Advancing this understanding will improve predictive wave models for coastal management and support the integration of mangroves into resilient, nature-based coastal protection strategies. Additionally, this project will provide hands-on research opportunities for students in STEM and engage in community outreach to raise public awareness about nature-based solutions and sustainable coastal resilience. The primary goal of this project is to investigate the hydrodynamic interactions between mangrove root systems and coastal waves and currents. Specifically, the research will focus on three key objectives: (1) to evaluate how mangrove root morphology influences hydrodynamic processes under various conditions (wave, current, and combined wave-current flows), (2) to examine how currents modify wave dynamics within mangrove environments, and (3) to analyze the turbulence generated by the interaction of waves, currents, and mangrove root structures. Laboratory experiments will use scaled 3D models that closely replicate natural mangrove root morphology. Advanced measurement techniques, including Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry (ADV), will be used to measure detailed flow dynamics and turbulence, while direct force measurements will enable precise calculation of drag and inertia coefficients. By addressing the complex and often overlooked interactions between waves, currents, and vegetation, this research will improve the parameterization of vegetation effects in coastal wave models leading to more accurate predictions of wave attenuation and current reduction. The findings of this project will support the integration of nature-based solutions into coastal planning, inform the design of hybrid protection systems that combine natural ecosystems with engineered infrastructure, and promote climate adaptation strategies for more resilient coastal communities. 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 · 2025-01

PROJECT SUMMARY Suicide rates among peripubertal youth have tripled in the last decade, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents. Despite alarming increases in preadolescent suicide, little is known about the day-to-day dynamics of suicide risk, especially among pre-adolescent youth experiencing severe stress and psychopathology. One factor unique to this developmental stage that could explain why suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) increase dramatically is sleep disruption. Peripuberty is uniquely sensitive to poor sleep health, and research suggests that suicide risk during adolescence coincides with changes in sleep-wake and circadian regulation. However, despite evidence supporting both sleep and STB being dynamic and development processes, almost all research to date has focused on adults and used retrospective or long follow-up periods. which substantially limits the clinical translation of research to this vulnerable population. We propose to examine the dynamic influence of sleep deficiencies (e.g., insufficient duration, irregular timing, poor quality) on next-day suicidal ideation (SI) in a high-risk peripubertal youth population. We will examine three domains of sleep deficiencies using subjective daily diaries and objective passive wrist-based actigraphy and heart rate. We will also explore the influence of potential confounding or amplifying factors, including depressive symptoms severity, pubertal stage, sex, and childhood adversity exposure. We aim to overcome the limitations of previous research by using (1) a high-risk sample of peripubertal youth (ages 9-12), (2) a multi-model assessment of sleep deficiencies, and (3) a 30-day daily diary (N = 150) and passive actigraphy assessment (n = 50) of sleep. We hypothesize that shorter sleep duration, lower quality, and later or more variable timing will longitudinally predict heightened next-day SI. This will be the first study examining sleep deficiencies and prospective SI within peripubertal youth. Findings have a high potential to impact our understanding of early risk identification and, ultimately, the prevention of the dramatic escalation in STB risk from childhood to adolescence. Additionally, this proposed project will be instrumental to the Applicant’s professional trajectory and long-term goals of pursuing a clinical research career in a medical center setting.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-01

The use of light-activated gold nanoparticles for thermal ablation of cancerous tissue and localized thermally-activated drug and gene delivery systems has been extensively investigated. However, these therapeutic approaches have stalled at the preclinical stage because the nanoparticle temperature cannot be controlled precisely, which leads to effects on tissue away from the therapeutic target. The conversion of light to heat inside the nanoparticles is efficient and fast, which means the key parameter determining overall therapeutic efficiency is the thermal energy dissipation across the interface between the gold nanoparticles and the surrounding medium, i.e., biological fluid. Therefore, the main goal of this project is to broaden our understanding of heat transfer across solid-liquid interfaces, which is a highly complex problem that involves surface chemistry, interfacial liquid properties, and energy carrier physics. The broader activities of this project will include the creation of a podcast for societal outreach, and several educational activities, including a course on the research tools used by the investigators. The goal of this project is to engineer a methodology for the spatiotemporal temperature control of solvated gold nanoparticles by focusing on the interfacial dissipation of thermal energy. The research plan is driven by the hypothesis that interfacial liquid properties and structuring determine the solid-liquid interfacial thermal conductance, which is the missing link between existing theory and experiments. This project will address this knowledge gap through a combination of unique experimental and computational efforts including: (i) spectroscopy techniques for probing the interfacial liquid properties; (ii) interface-sensitive laser pump-probe metrology for accurate thermal boundary conductance measurements; (iii) reactive force field development for capturing thermally-sensitive chemistry; and (iv) multiscale (atomistic and continuum) modeling of heat transfer in solvated nanoparticle systems. Thiolated gold surfaces and nanoparticles will be considered for thermotherapy and drug delivery systems based on Diels-Alder chemistry. Primary objectives are the creation of a comprehensive computational tool, based on the reactive force field (ReaxFF) able to capture thermally-sensitive chemistry and interfacial liquid properties as measured by spectroscopy; experimentally observing for the first time the computationally predicted relationship between adsorbed liquid ordering and solid-liquid conductance; and using these findings to create continuum models capable of incorporating the granularity of atomistic scale parameters and laser irradiation to formulate temperature control strategies. The successful execution of this project will bring significant advances in the fields of heat transfer, biomedical engineering, surface science, and potential cancer therapeutics. 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 · 2025-01

Global sea levels are rising at unprecedented rates and will continue to reshape the coastline of densely populated regions both in the US and globally with implications for housing, transportation, agriculture, wildlife habitability, and tourism. Over the next 50 years, mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet will be a dominant contribution to global sea level, but it is also associated with the greatest uncertainty in sea level rise estimates. Much of this uncertainty results from incomplete understanding of processes that occur near the Antarctic coast where there are close interactions between the open ocean, near-coastal waters whose properties are influenced by interactions with sea-ice, and ocean water that is carrying glacier meltwater originating from the Antarctic ice sheet itself. These regions also happen to be among the most biologically productive of all waters in the Southern Ocean, and the impact of climate-related biogeochemical changes here remain a blind spot in our understanding of a changing global carbon cycle. Current understanding of changes occurring around Antarctica are largely derived from decades of work in the Amundsen Sea. Yet, the melting of ice shelves in the neighboring Bellingshausen Sea are comparably high and pre-condition the physical and biogeochemical properties of the water that enter the Amundsen. Thus, the role of the “upstream” Bellingshausen Sea in ice sheet mass loss and ocean carbon uptake remains unconstrained, although models suggest this region can broadly influence these processes throughout West Antarctica. The Bellingshausen Sea: A Carbon and Overturning Nexus (BEACON) project will collect a broad suite of physical and biogeochemical observations needed to assess the Bellingshausen Sea’s role in the large-scale distributions of heat, meltwater, dissolved iron and other nutrients, and biological productivity. The research team will combine standard and trace-metal shipboard measurements, towed underway observations, and a small fleet of remote autonomous underwater vehicles aimed at capturing key transport pathways associated with narrow boundary currents located along the coast. These observations will capture dynamical processes related to mixing of water properties by ocean turbulence from centimeter to kilometer scales. This information about mixing will then be applied to an inverse-modeling framework to assess how changes in near-coastal processes in the Bellingshausen Sea impact larger-scale ice-shelf melt rates, nutrient supply to the upper ocean, the timing and intensity of seasonal primary production, and the oceanic uptake of carbon dioxide throughout West Antarctica. 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 2024 · 2024-12

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is the development of advanced smart clothing technology that offers integrated physiological monitoring for athletes and sports professionals. This innovation addresses critical gaps in current monitoring systems by combining multiple sensing capabilities within custom wearable garments. The technology continuously tracks various vital signs including heart rate, respiration, and other physiological parameters, providing actionable insights for optimizing performance and reducing risk of injury. With significant commercial potential in the expanding sports technology market, this solution supports data-driven training regimens that could reduce injuries and improve recovery strategies. Beyond athletics, the smart monitoring system holds promise for applications in other fields requiring endurance tracking, potentially benefiting occupational health and wellness. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. This solution is based on the development of novel textile-based sensors, which include specialized dry electrodes and modular electronics embedded in everyday clothing. The technology builds upon established biomedical research and recent advances in smart textile engineering. A key innovation is a body scanning method that ensures custom fitting for sensor placement and user comfort, enhancing both data accuracy and the overall user experience. 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 2024 · 2024-11

Surface waves modulate the physical coupling between the atmosphere and ocean. A better understanding of the physics of these small-scale processes is fundamental for improved approximations (or parametrizations) to be used in models of weather and climate that link ocean and atmosphere, particularly as Earth’s climate changes. This proposal examines the effects that surface-wave direction and wave breaking have on the transport caused by waves. The applications of this research will be global and are expected to lead to improvements in the understanding and modeling of the interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere. This project will advance understanding of the geometry, kinematics, dynamics and statistics of ocean surface waves and wave breaking and their role in air-sea interaction using theoretical, numerical, laboratory and observational techniques. High-resolution field observations of non-breaking and breaking wave statistics will be used to compute the wave-induced drift, and to provide parametrizations of this transport as a function of the environmental variables. Analyses will quantify the errors associated with ignoring, or not properly resolving, directional wave effects, and will consider the directional effects of waves and wave breaking on mass transport in the upper ocean. 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 2024 · 2024-10

As quantum computing hardware develops, exploring practical applications of near-term quantum devices has attracted an increasing interest. This Expanding Capacity in Quantum Information Science and Engineering (ExpandQISE) project supports research that explores the fundamental theory of the potential of hybrid quantum-classical algorithms for solving complex optimization problems and their implementation in near-term quantum devices. The project also develops an undergraduate quantum computing course for STEM students with diverse backgrounds to enter the field. Through these research and education activities, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students are trained in quantum computing for the quantum workforce needs of industry, government, and academia. Hybrid quantum-classical algorithms, such as the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA), emerge as a potential tool for solving complex problems. However, no speedup of these algorithms over classical algorithms for any practically relevant tasks have been demonstrated. Quantum entanglement, on the other hand, is considered a resource for quantum computing to go beyond classical computing. However, the role of entanglement in quantum-classical algorithms is subtle. In this project, the research team focuses on the role of quantum correlations, including multipartite entanglement and spin squeezing, to investigate the theory and performance of algorithms based on QAOA. The Principal Investigator will leverage the direct access to IBM Quantum Computers at the University of Rhode Island and the expertise and experience of the Co-Principal Investigator and the collaborators in the fields of quantum computing and quantum algorithms to explore 1) theoretical analysis of the performance of low depth QAOA under different variations, including initial entangled states and entangling mixing operators, 2) numerical simulation of the new variations in QAOA using high-performance computers, and 3) experimental implementation of these new QAOA variations on large quantum computing devices with tens of qubits. This award was jointly funded by the Directorate for Engineering, Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation, the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Office of Strategic Initiatives, and the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Division of Computing and Communication Foundations. 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 2024 · 2024-10

The proposed project aims to understand how aging affects people's ability to use emerging technologies for human-computer interaction, such as virtual reality (VR). As people age, their visual, spatial, and motor control abilities decline; this decline in visuospatial-motor (VSM) functions likely affects how well they can use VR and related technologies that involve immersive 3D environments. This decline could in turn reduce older adults' ability to reap the educational, social, health, and general well-being benefits that VR and related technologies can provide. The goal of this project is to link neuroscientific measures of brain activity with the use of VR-based 3D environments, building models that relate VSM abilities to the successful use of features of VR designs. These models will advance scientific understanding of brain function in virtual spaces and are intended to guide the design of future VR interfaces so that they are better able to adapt to variations in VSM ability associated with aging. The project will also support education and diversity by involving a multidisciplinary team from neuroscience, engineering, and computer science. The insights gained could inform the design of more accessible and inclusive HCI systems, benefiting a broader range of users across various demographics. The project proposes an Immersive Multimodal HCI (Immersive mHCI) framework to explore the underlying neural dynamics that connect age-related changes in visuospatial-motor (VSM) functions to the digital competence required for adapting to immersive 3D HCI environments. The research is structured around three key thrusts: Thrust 1 involves the design of a novel dual visuospatial-motor virtual reality-based interface (VSM-VRI) as an immersive 3D task environment. This interface will facilitate the multimodal characterization of the complex nonlinear dynamics underlying visuospatial and motor interactions, providing a realistic and challenging context for studying VSM functions. Thrust 2 focuses on developing novel nonlinear pattern recognition techniques and a graph-based learning framework. These tools will characterize and fuse the nonlinear dynamics of VSM neural interrelations as reflected in electrical and vascular-hemodynamic neural activities captured when experimental participants use the proposed 3D task environment. The goal is to create a comprehensive model that captures the intricate spatiotemporal neural patterns associated with VSM functions. Thrust 3 aims to develop and test statistical methods to evaluate the proposed VSM-VRI and graph-based computational frameworks. These methods will predict age-related VSM functionality changes and their effect on adaptation to emerging 3D HCI environments, compared to traditional 2D screen-based interactions. The project's outcomes will enhance understanding of VSM functions and inform the design of adaptive, inclusive HCI systems that cater to diverse user needs. 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 2024 · 2024-10

Nontechnical Abstract: The transformative promise of quantum information science ranges from advances in fundamental understanding of the natural world to unprecedented technological and societal impact. Realizing this promise requires a scalable physical system capable of both rapidly controlling and preserving quantum information. Hybrid systems that combine multiple types of physical platforms enable the optimal properties of distinct platforms to be jointly harnessed in order to address these challenges. This project investigates a novel type of hybrid quantum system that combines the advantages of semiconductor quantum bits (qubits) and superconducting circuits, which represent two compatible and currently promising solid-state quantum computing platforms. The project’s integrated research and educational efforts leverage the deep quantum science and engineering expertise of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Quantum Engineering to help develop and sustain the emerging quantum information science program at the University of Rhode Island and lay the groundwork for a broader effort in quantum information science and engineering, thereby (1) advancing the forefront of quantum information science knowledge by bringing together state-of-the-art efforts in the semiconductor and superconducting quantum computing fields; (2) providing the basis for a novel and practical pathway to scalable quantum computing; and (3) creating new cutting-edge opportunities in quantum information science and engineering for students and young scientists across educational and expertise levels and backgrounds to contribute to developing a diverse regional and national quantum workforce. Technical Abstract: This project theoretically and experimentally investigates hybrid solid-state quantum systems that integrate compact and coherent semiconductor spin qubit memories with highly tunable superconducting circuit elements, with the goal of enabling the realization of a versatile and modular quantum information processing platform capable of quantum coherence preservation simultaneously with rapid and robust control. Specifically, the project investigates hybrid solid-state qubit modules where superconducting circuit elements serve as interfaces between spin qubits in quantum dots for achieving tunable spin-spin and spin-photon coupling with expanded scope for controlling and distributing quantum information. These investigations are carried out under three main objectives: (1) Transfer and entanglement of hybrid solid-state quantum information; (2) Hybrid qubit control and coherence optimization; and (3) Proof-of-principle experimental demonstrations. The research involves identifying and optimizing spin qubit encodings and mechanisms by which the intrinsic spin-dependent electric dipole moment associated with spin qubits can coherently interface with linear and nonlinear superconducting circuit elements to enable tunable spin-spin entanglement and enhanced spin-photon coupling. The developed theoretical framework provides guidance for proof-of-principle experimental demonstrations. This work serves to generate new fundamental understanding of quantum states, coherence, control, and entanglement in hybrid semiconductor qubit-superconducting circuit systems, as well as to provide a basis for efficiently linking semiconductor qubit modules via superconducting circuits and tailoring these systems to function as building blocks of a modular quantum processor. 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 2024 · 2024-10

The University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography will continue to host the NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative Facilities Board (OOIFB) Administrative Support Office (ASO) for a period of five years starting October 1, 2024. The funding provided will allow the ASO to assist the OOIFB in engaging researchers and educators so that NSF Ocean Observatory Initiative (OOI) educational and research opportunities can be shared broadly. The ASO will provide management structure and resources to enable the OOIFB and its committees to carry out its mandate as described in the OOIFB Terms of Reference. The ASO will administer funds for meeting organization and scheduling as well as for community and board member travel expenses. Additional tasks include support for the design and maintenance of the OOIFB website and continuous active promotion of OOI and OOIFB outreach communications. The OOIFB ASO will maintain meeting records and adhere to reporting requirements. It will also assist in the organization and running of at least two community workshops aimed at stimulating the formation of new science user groups and multidisciplinary collaborations, three summer school workshops, and town hall sessions at major oceanographic conferences. These activities will increase engagement with a broader array of science, engineering, and educational audiences from a wider spectrum of institutions and organizations. The OOIFB was established in May 2017 to provide independent input on the management and operation of the OOI, an NSF supported, community-inspired, and community-serving research facility enabling ocean science research. The facility consists of an integrated network of instrumentation arrays, distributed in various coastal and global ocean locations that collect, archive, and distribute quality ocean, marine geophysical, and atmospheric data to the ocean and Earth science communities. The OOIFB consists of seven community members including two members from the OOI facility. The Board expands scientific and public awareness of OOI and ensures that the oceanographic community is kept informed of relevant developments. In addition, the OOIFB provides a communication conduit between the user community and NSF, which enables effective and informed NSF oversight of the facility. With support from this award, the OOIFB ASO will assist the OOIFB in fulfilling its mission and engage researchers and educators so that science discoveries and OOI data and resources are utilized by the broader oceanographic community. 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 2024 · 2024-10

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought significant advancements to fields such as natural language processing, computer vision, healthcare, and finance. However, proper training of AI models requires vast computational resources and energy. Typically, a training process requires thousands of powerful processors working together for days and consumes a tremendous amount of power. This project seeks to revolutionize AI training by developing a novel chip architecture that will make the training process dramatically faster and much more energy-efficient than the currently available processors. The project aims to make advanced AI technologies more accessible and sustainable, benefiting various sectors and fostering collaborations. Additionally, it will focus on expanding educational and workforce development initiatives, particularly for underrepresented groups in technology. The project proposes a new chip architecture that integrates forward and backward propagation into a single step, referred to as Co-FabPro (Concurrent Forward and backward Propagation). Co-FabPro enables linear scaling in both training and inference for long-sequence machine learning (ML) models. This approach employs hardware-software co-design to significantly reduce computational and energy demands. During the planning phase, the project will undertake conceptualization, feasibility studies, team formation, infrastructure assessment, and proposal development. By addressing the major bottlenecks in current ML training methods, Co-FabPro aims to develop a cutting-edge semiconductor chip and achieve a profound theoretical understanding of this new architecture. The project will deliver faster, more efficient training processes and disseminate findings through open-source releases and educational initiatives. 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 · 2024-09

PROJECT SUMMARY The proposed Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) will launch Dr. Mollie Ruben's program of research as an independent scientist focusing on identifying and reducing race and gender biases in pain care. This goal will be achieved through a 5-year parallel research and tailored training plan. Training goals include building expertise in (1) racial disparities and intersectionality in healthcare; (2) clinical pain research, translational studies, and implementation science; (3) multiple mediation and programming in R; and (4) leadership and professional skills to execute team-based science. Training goals will be met through a comprehensive training plan with Drs. Stein (expert in racial disparities), Batchelder (expert in gender minorities/stigma), and Elwy (expert in clinical pain research/implementation science), along with consultants with expertise in mediation (Nguyen), simulation research (Blum), medical education (Warrier, Rougas), and implicit bias (Maddox); workshops; conferences; coursework; and experiential activities. Skills gained through the training plan will be put into action through a complementary research plan aimed to identify mechanisms underlying race and gender pain care disparities among medical students. The management of pain is marked by inequities, particularly in the underestimation, inaccurate recognition, and mistreatment of pain in women and people of color. Despite these challenges, there is a lack of research on pain assessment biases, including race, gender, and transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) patients. This proposal addresses these gaps by developing pain assessment methods inclusive of TGD people (N = 80) and examining medical students' (N = 120) implicit and explicit biases in pain assessment and their impact on pain care disparities during a standardized patient (SP) interaction. The proposed project has three specific aims: (1) analyze new racially diverse TGD pain videos and test for differences in the experience of pain; (2) establish the pattern of relationships between medical students' implicit and explicit race and gender biases on perceptual biases in pain assessment; (3) determine the extent to which pain assessment biases are a mechanism underlying disparities in pain treatment and care. Findings from the proposal will provide preliminary data for a R01 application to be completed by Dr. Ruben during the award period. The proposed research seeks to address knowledge gaps by identifying underlying mechanisms responsible for intersectional race and gender disparities, with the goal to implement effective evidence-based provider- level interventions to mitigate biases and promote more equitable pain care for systematically marginalized patients. Thus, this proposal is in line with NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework and NIMHD's Strategic Plan to investigate patient–clinician communication affecting health disparities emphasizing the sociocultural environment, healthcare system, and provider levels of influence. Completion of the K01 will provide Dr. Ruben with the expertise to conduct innovative, high-impact research.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2024-09

Project Summary/Abstract Young black men who have sex with men (BMSM) experience a disproportionate burden of HIV infection despite advances in HIV treatment and prevention, and their HIV risk often involves illicit substance use. These individuals are frequently part of sexual networks with HIV transmission risk. HIV interventions have the potential for substantial impact beyond the treated individual. This is known as spillover (i.e., interference), and occurs when one participant's exposure affects another's health outcome. Although spillover has been evaluated for therapies like vaccines, there is preliminary evidence that HIV interventions result in meaningful spillover, such as treatment as prevention and pre- exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, there have been limited evaluations of spillover in this marginalized population. Important methodological work remains in the context of studies to evaluate the spillover of HIV interventions among populations that use illicit substances. The objective of this application is to evaluate the spillover of HIV interventions among marginalized populations using both secondary data analyses of existing data and simulation approaches. This project will provide new insights about spillover in the following network studies in Chicago, Illinois: uConnect, PrEP Chicago, and Neighborhood and Networks Cohort Study. The development of sample size and power formulas to evaluate spillover in sociometric network-based studies will facilitate post hoc evaluations of power in the motivating studies. This will also allow investigators to conduct adequately powered future studies of spillover to determine the most effective HIV interventions among young BMSM. Network dependence and missing data in network-based studies are common and largely unaddressed in the assessment of spillover. We will develop causal methods addressing both these threats to valid inference. We will conduct a pre-deployment evaluation of spillover for HIV interventions, including a PrEP peer change intervention and PrEP delivery focused on substance- using agents in a calibrated agent-based network model of young BMSM in Chicago, Illinois. We have assembled a transdisciplinary, expert team of leading methodologists, modelers, substance use clinicians, and HIV prevention scientists, who also hold key leadership roles in the three motivating network studies and agent-based network model. Resources at the University of Rhode Island will provide a centrally-located environment to facilitate research, including collaborative opportunities with leading HIV and substance use researchers. This project will advance modeling and statistical methodology for HIV prevention among marginalized populations to assess spillover and contribute important substantive studies of spillover in both secondary data analysis and agent-based modeling, providing novel insights to advance HIV prevention and treatment among young BMSM.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2024 · 2024-09

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Of the nearly 400,000 people with an opioid use disorder (OUD) who receive OUD treatment each year, 1 in 6 utilize residential services. Community re-entry after residential OUD treatment is an especially vulnerable time, with most people who return to use doing so in the 30 days following discharge. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent (>50%) among people in residential OUD treatment and linked to worse opioid outcomes following treatment, including return to use during community re-entry. However, while PTSD treatment access high-risk the they access individual is safe/acceptable/efficacious for people with OUD, return to use after residential OUD treatment happens so quickly, it is critical that patients have to empirically-supported tools that deliver ongoing upport and resources for PTSD-OUD during this transitional period. Rigorously-developed mobile ealth interventions that adapt provision of care to individual offer a promising and innovative approach to continuing care after residential OUD treatment: can be easily disseminated o people from a wide demographic (high scalability), ensuring equitable to OUD care for our most marginalized populations; overcome many of the structural, social, and barriers to traditional treatment; are cost-effective and sustainable; and provide personalized 24/7 OUD programs rarely provide PTSD treatment. Because s h t care to people at their moments of greatest need while maintaining standardization and fidelity of treatment. The proposed study will use a ground-up approach to rigorously develop and evaluate a mobile app with both on-demand (24/7 PTSD-OUD resources) and automated (skills-based PTSD-OUD interventions) features to reduce opioid use/harms during community re-entry of adults with co-morbid PTSD-OUD. Aim 1 will use ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to identify tailoring of Aim variables (i.e., states of high risk for occurrence opioid use and related harms) for a just-in-time adaptive intervention (JITAI) component of the mobile app. 2 will experimental design to ruse a hybrid igorously develop and evaluate the mobile app. Specifically, microrandomized trial (MRT) will evaluate the efficacyof intervention options (JITAI) vs. generic reminders to access resources on the proximal occurrence of opioid use and harms, including optimization of decision rules (e.g., when, whether) to alter dosage, type, and timing of JITAI intervention option delivery, and controlled secondary Our final community Such randomized trail (RCT) will provide an initia l test of efficacy (primary outcomes: r eturn to opioid use and harms; outcome: PTSD severity) and implementation outcomes of mobile app vs. treatment-as-usual. product will be a highly scalable mobile app that provides access to 24/7 continuing care during re-entry (on-demand resources), including in xact moments of need (skills-based interventions). a clinical tool has strong potential to improve health and quality of life for individuals with PTSD-OUD. e

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2024-09

Although the pandemic phase of SARS-CoV-2 infections has diminished the disease remains highly endemic in the US population with current weekly hospitalizations from infection remaining in the thousands and significant morbidity. Further, there is always the risk that new SARS-CoV-2 variants may arise that are more transmissible and/or pathogenic. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 infections will remain a significant health issue in the US for the foreseeable future. Although SARS-CoV-2 infection is largely viewed as a respiratory disease there is substantial evidence that SARS-2-CoV-2 infection is a “vascular disease” caused by endothelial cell uptake of the virus via angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) that can affect various organs including the brain. With regards to the cerebral vasculature, SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause coagulopathy and local thrombotic events in the brain including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. How other cerebral vascular diseases interact with SARS-CoV-2 infections is poorly understood. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a common amyloidal form of cerebral small vessel disease of the elderly that is characterized by the accumulation of fibrillar amyloid b-protein (Ab) in blood vessels of the brain. CAA is also a frequent vascular comorbidity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD). Cerebral vascular accumulation of Aβ can result in perivascular neuroinflammation, cerebral infarction, microbleeds and intracerebral hemorrhages. Because of these cerebral vascular insults, CAA is a significant cause of vascular-mediated cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). Recently, we generated a novel transgenic rat model for CAA, designated rTg-D, that recapitulates many of the pathological features of the disease in humans including cortical and meningeal vascular amyloid, cerebral microbleeds, small vessel occlusions, and VCID. The rTg-D rat model provides a useful platform for investigating the pathogenesis of CAA and the impact of comorbidities. There are reports in the literature indicating that SARS-CoV-2 infection can impact CAA in a highly detrimental manner promoting hemorrhagic events. Yet despite this link the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the course of pathology of CAA and other ADRDs remains largely unknown. Thus, the goal of this R21 exploratory proposal is to investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the emergence, progression and severity of CAA in the novel rTg-D transgenic rat model of CAA. To accomplish this goal, we propose two specific aims. First, we will determine if the SARS-CoV-2 spike 1 protein accelerates the emergence and progression CAA and associated pathologies in younger rTg-D rats. Second, we will determine if the SARS-CoV-2 spike 1 protein exacerbates CAA associated vasculopathies in aged rTg-D rats. Our studies will combine quantitative pathological measures and transcriptomic approaches in a novel preclinical model of CAA to identify key elements of activation pathways that are shared between CAA and SARS-CoV-2 infection.