Congressman Cohen Announces $1.8 Million in NIH Grants to UTHSC

WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that the University of Tennessee Heath Science Center (UTHSC) will receive two grants totaling $1,854,709 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The first, for $1,344,117, from the Office of the Director of the NIH, is for solution-oriented research identifying early-life modifiable risk factors for obesity and mental health problems in children under the director of Dr. Qi Zhao, a professor of Preventive Medicine.

The second, for $510,592, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is for research into radiation-induced Paneth Cell dysfunction under the direction of Dr. Radhakrishna Rao, a professor in the Department of Physiology. Paneth Cells are a specialized cell type in the lining of the small intestines which are an important source of antimicrobial peptides. Certain types of radiation reduces the peptide production by these cells and alters microbiome composition. There are no FDA-approved therapeutics for radiation injury, and this work is essential to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in radiation-induced immunity dysfunction to help develop new therapeutics.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"These federal investments in children's mental health and in better understanding intestinal problems will improve the quality of life for patients and improve therapies. I commend Drs. Zhao and Rao and the University for their commitments to medical science."

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