• Molecular Mechanisms of Interspecies Interactions in Mitigating Aquaculture Diseases (July 2019, U.S. Department of Agriculture, $141,036). The long-term goal of this project is to develop commercial tools to reduce disease burdens in shellfish aquaculture. This project will test the hypothesis that specific molecular mechanisms are employed by hosts, probionts, and pathogens that determine the outcomes of interspecies interactions and, ultimately, the health and survival of the host. In particular, we will probe the role of bacterial type VI secretion systems (T6SS) in determining the interaction outcomes between probiotic bacteria and pathogens.
• Aquaculture: Modifying Microbiomes to Mitigate Infectious Diseases in Aquaculture Facilities (September 2019, U.S. Department of Agriculture, $99,000). There is an unmet need for novel tools to prevent and treat disease outbreaks at aquaculture facilities. Using in vivo infection models and hatchery studies, our probiotic bacterium, Phaeobacter inhibens S4, has demonstrated host protection for shellfish larvae against problematic bacteria pathogens. In this project, we test the hypothesis that this probiotic activity is the result of multiple contributing factors, including beneficial alteration to the host microbiome that results in improved host resistance to infection. This research will lead to improved knowledge of probiont-pathogen-host-environmental interactions, knowledge that can be used to optimize the use of probiotics in hatcheries.

Navindra Seeram

• Physicochemical Characterization and Biological Evaluations of Cannabidiol (CBD) and its Formulation (January 2020, URI Research Foundation, $154,369). Cannabidiol (CBD), the major non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid in Cannabis, and its formulation products, are being extensively used for topical applications for dermatological and/or cosmetic purposes. However, it remains a challenge to develop suitable CBD-based formulations due to the lack of studies on their stability in different environments. This project will characterize the physicochemical properties of CBD and its formulations for the development of quality research-based CBD dermatological products.

Jie Shen

• Bioequivalence Considerations of Topical Rectal and Vaginal Products (September 2019, Food and Drug Administration, $250,000). The major goal of this project is to develop comparative product characterization-based bioequivalence approaches that are suitable for topical rectal and vaginal drug products, and to help advance regulatory review and approval processes for these products.
• A Continuous Manufacturing Platform for Complex Dosage Forms (September 2019, University of Connecticut STORRS, $432,827). The major goal of this project is to build and test a continuous manufacturing platform with modular components for complex dosage forms such as liposomes for use in a cGMP facility.

Angela Slitt

• CI – STEEP – Sources, Transport, Exposure and Effects of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (April 2020, National Institutes of Health, $197,953). The major goal of the multi-million-dollar grant for NIEHS Superfund Research Program (P42) is to address the emerging and expanding problem of poly- and per-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) contamination. Dr. Slitt is the leader of Project 3 — evaluation of PFAS exposure as a risk for obesity-induced dysregulation of hepatic and adipose tissue function.
• CI – STEEP – Sources, Transport, Exposure and Effects of Perfluoroalkyl Substances – Training Core (April 2020, National Institutes of Health, $92,281). A goal of the multi-million-dollar grant for NIEHS Superfund Research Program (P42) is to train the next generation of environmental health scientists in the area of emerging contaminants. Through STEEP SRP, The University of Rhode Island and Harvard University provide a rich interdisciplinary training program to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are funded through the STEEP SRP Center. Dr. Slitt (URI) and Dr. Sunderland (Harvard) are co-leaders of the STEEP SRP training core.

Lynn Taylor

• IIHI – Patient Centered Models of Hepatitis C Care for People Who Inject Drugs (February 2020, PCORI (Clemson University-Prisma Health), $268,936). The purpose of this pragmatic randomized, 8-site, national trial is to determine the optimal approaches for treating hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) in people who inject drugs at methadone programs and community health centers. We test the effectiveness of patient navigation vs. modified directly observed therapy on HCV treatment initiation, adherence (measured by electronic packs), completion, and sustained virologic response, as well as reinfection.

William Van Nostrand

• Understanding the Origins of Amyloid Deposition in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (April 2020, National Institutes of Health, $383,750). Recent work from our laboratory has indicated that the structure of amyloid fibrils that accumulate in cerebral blood vessels, a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), is different than amyloid fibrils that accumulate in brain parenchymal plaques. The major goal of this project is to elucidate the novel structural features of amyloid deposition in CAA using in vitro and transgenic mouse approaches.
• The Role of Copper in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Year 5 (May 2020, National Institutes of Health, $383,750). We have recently found that the amyloid deposits that accumulate in cerebral blood vessels harbor elevated amounts of copper. The major goal of this project is to determine whether there is a structural basis for the accumulation of copper in the vascular amyloid associated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and how copper influences the formation of CAA and pathologies associated with this condition using transgenic rodent models.
• Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Fluid Biomarkers Evaluation (CAFE) (June 2020, National Institutes of Health, $643,743). This project focuses on the development of novel biological fluid markers for the condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), which is the accumulation of amyloid in blood vessels of the brain. Here we take a complementary approach utilizing cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples obtained from CAA patients and novel animal models of CAA for discovery of CAA biomarkers.
• Structural Identification and Functional Consequences of Different Amyloid Strains in Alzheimer’s Disease (June 2020, The Research Foundation for SUNY, $303,427). Alzheimer’s disease presents with different clinical subtypes that have different somewhat different pathological features. In particular, subtypes of Alzheimer’s disease can exhibit neuronal plaques with different types of morphology that may contribute to their different forms of clinical presentation. The major goals of this project are to identify distinct structural features of amyloid from different subtypes of AD and to study their unique functions in promoting neuroinflammation.
• Efficacy of siRNA to prevent cerebral amyloid Angiopathy in rTg-DI Transgenic Rats (March 2020, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, $178,264). Currently, there are no effective therapies to treat cerebral amyloid angiopathy, a condition that involves accumulation of amyloid in brain blood vessels that can lead to restricted cerebral blood flow, stroke, hemorrhage and cognitive decline. We have generated transgenic rats that develop cerebral amyloid angiopathy and are a useful preclinical model to test new potential therapies to treat this condition. The goal of the project is to test a new promising therapeutic intervention for cerebral amyloid angiopathy in this model.

Ami Vyas