MORGANTOWN — West Virginia University’s School of Medicine Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology received two federal research grants totaling more than $750,000, Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin announced on Friday.
The grants come from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, they said.
They fund two projects and total $757,676.
One grant, $529,676, WVU said, goes to Dr. Mariette Barbier’s work titled “Vaccine Development Against Bacterial Pathogens Based on Iron Acquisition Proteins.”
The other, $228,000, goes to Dr. Jennifer Franko and her research “Microbiome and Sex Chromosome Complement Interact in sexually Dimorphic Immunity.”
Dr. John Barnett, chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, said in an email exchange, “We are very excited about the new grants that have come to our new faculty in the department . They address very important projects.
“One of them addresses developing a vaccine for a very common pathogen, pseudomonas, which affects many, many people, especially those with cystic fibrosis. The other addresses the differences between the immune response of females and males.”
Females, Barnett said, typically have a more robust immune response. “However they’re also more susceptible to autoimmune disease which makes this research especially important.”
The department also received a grant, amount not announced, for work to address the vaccine for pertussis that causes whooping cough, Barnett said. “The current vaccine is not an optimal preparation and the new research is to develop a more efficacious vaccine.”
That research, by Dr. Heath Damron, is called “Development of Mucosal Vaccines to Protect Against Pertussis.”
In their joint announcement, Capito said, “Access to modern health care services informed by the best scientific research is critical for the well-being of West Virginians. Our state universities fulfill a critical role in the development of technologies and expertise that save lives. This funding will help the world-class researchers at WVU continue their important work, and it will support a healthier West Virginia.”
Manchin said, “Allergies and other immune related issues affect many people on a daily basis, from annoying seasonal allergies to life threatening reactions. That’s why I am proud of WVU for conducting this important and needed medical research that can help many Americans. I applaud them on their commitment to advancing healthcare and I will continue to advocate for funding to advance medical research.”
