NIH K08 Grants — Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award

Recent K08 awards from NIH RePORTER

Examples of funded K08 projects across the last two fiscal years. The matching-award count comes from the full result set; funding totals, averages, rankings, and examples use the first 500 records returned by NIH RePORTER. Figures reflect a snapshot last refreshed on June 9, 2026.

Example K08 projects from the sample

• Innate Immunity to Viral Infection of the Retina

  5K08EY034892-05
  Christopher Conrady · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, UT · $234,732 · awarded Jun 5, 2026 · NIH

  SUMMARY Alpha herpesviruses are a subfamily of ubiquitous viruses that can cause a spectrum of clinically-significant diseases including blindness from acute retinal necrosis (ARN). Unfortunately, even with timely antiviral treatment, irreversible pathological changes occur within the retina and significantly increase the risk of vision- threatening…

• A synthetic biosensor of immunologic synapse formation allowing multiplexed T cell antigen discovery for autoimmune neurologic disorders

  5K08AI174061-04
  JOSIAH GERDTS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, CA · $188,892 · awarded Jun 4, 2026 · NIH

  Summary/Abstract Candidate: I am a neurologist-scientist at UCSF with a long-term goal to lead an independent laboratory- based research program focused on T cell autoantigen targets in autoimmune neurologic diseases. The K08 application is key for my career development, providing me with (1) mentorship from an accomplished team of scientists and…

• Interactions between the Gut Microbiome, Intestinal Development and Metabolic Health after Fetal Growth Restriction

  5K08DK139411-02
  Stephanie Gilley · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER, CO · $129,510 · awarded Jun 4, 2026 · NIH

  PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Fetal growth restriction (FGR) impacts 10-20% of pregnancies worldwide and increases the offspring’s risk for later development of obesity and type 2 diabetes due to incompletely understood mechanisms. The focus of this proposal is the nexus of intestinal development and gut microbiome establishment. Gut microbial composition…

• Mechanisms Underlying the Immune Paradox in Sarcoidosis

  1K08HL179451-01A1
  Christian Ascoli · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO, IL · $174,560 · awarded Jun 3, 2026 · NIH

  Project Summary/Abstract: Sarcoidosis is a rare and understudied disease. It is characterized by a strong genetic predisposition, with risk often conferred by Major Histocompatibility (MHC) class II genes and a dysregulated immune response against an unidentified inhaled antigen. Antigenic exposure triggers interactions between antigen-presenting cells…

• Autoimmunity-Associated B Cells in Lupus Nephritis

  5K08AI168450-04
  Jennifer Barnas · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, NY · $192,240 · awarded Jun 3, 2026 · NIH

  PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This proposal details a five-year research and career development plan with a scientific focus on autoimmunity-associated B cells (ABC), a subset of cells that is expanded during lupus disease activity and can differentiate into autoantibody-producing plasma cells (PC). These cells are found in the kidneys of lupus nephritis…

• Synovium Immunoprivilege and the Modulation of Resident Synovial Macrophage Functions in Lyme Arthritis

  5K08AR084605-02
  Karen Cyndari · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, IA · $167,076 · awarded Jun 3, 2026 · NIH

  Lyme Arthritis is indicative of disseminated B. burgdorferi that has invaded the joint space to cause both acute infection and/or relapsing/remitting disease. Even if appropriately treated, Lyme Arthritis (LA) may transition to Antibiotic-Refractory Lyme Arthritis (ARLA), a condition with significant morbidity and long-term disability. The transition from…

• Leveraging Health Systems to Optimize Regional Cancer Care Delivery

  1K08CA300920-01A1
  Calista Harbaugh · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR, MI · $293,430 · awarded Jun 3, 2026 · NIH

  PROJECT SUMMARY The dominant trend in healthcare is regional consolidation of hospitals into “hub-and-spoke” health systems. Integrated care across health systems should ensure that multidisciplinary cancer care is coordinated; yet, healthcare silos persist, perpetuating differences in care among individuals. I am a colorectal surgeon and trained health…

• Cellular mechanisms of macrophage activation syndrome

  5K08AI170918-02
  Susan Canny · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, WA · $187,692 · awarded Jun 2, 2026 · NIH

  ABSTRACT Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) or secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) is a dysfunctional, potentially fatal, hyperinflammatory response that is characterized by abnormal activation of lymphocytes and phagocytes leading to an overproduction of inflammatory cytokines and damage of host tissues. In rheumatic disease, MAS most…

• Role of Proteasome Overload in Pathogenesis of Retinitis Pigmentosa

  5K08EY033857-05
  Oleg Alekseev · DUKE UNIVERSITY, NC · $170,704 · awarded Jun 1, 2026 · NIH

  PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common hereditary cause of blindness, affecting over 1.5 million people worldwide. RP has an extraordinarily variable etiology, with over 5,000 distinct mutations in more than 300 genes implicated in its pathogenesis, which suggests that the most productive therapeutic interventions would…

• Antibiotics-associated microbiota and functional changes in immune-mediated enterocolitis.

  1K08AI193408-01A1
  Christopher Fan · METHODIST HOSPITAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE, TX · $184,030 · awarded Jun 1, 2026 · NIH

  Project Summary/Abstract: This K08 proposal outlines a five-year research and training plan that will propel Dr. Fan’s career as an independent physician scientist and expert in microbiome manipulations in immunotherapy enterocolitis (IMEC). Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer treatment by leveraging our own immune system against tumor…

• Dissecting mechanisms by which mRNA vaccines encoding nontumor antigens initiate antitumor immunity

  1K08CA308866-01
  Adam Grippin · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR, TX · $136,270 · awarded Jun 1, 2026 · NIH

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly improved survival in many cancer patients, but most still fail to respond to these treatments. We and others have demonstrated that personalized mRNA lipid nanoparticle vaccines enhance antitumor immunity in combination with PD-1 inhibition. However, we recently found that mRNA vaccines targeting…

• Rac1 and the actin cytoskeleton in renal tubular repair

  5K08DK134879-04
  Fabian Bock · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, TN · $158,544 · awarded May 28, 2026 · NIH

  Polarized epithelial tubes are critical for an intact kidney. They control water, electrolyte, and nutrient homeostasis, all of which are deranged in chronic kidney disease. These specialized epithelia require a highly organized actin cytoskeleton that determines cellular shape and function. During renal epithelial repair, the actin cytoskeleton of…

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