As a respiratory condition that impacts several people on a daily basis, asthma is an important topic within research. One professor at The University of Akron understands its importance through her research.

Dr. Sailaja Paruchuri received a $1.9 million Research Project Grant (R01) from the National Institutes of Health – National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH – NIAID) on March 13.

The R01 grant is the original and historically oldest used by NIH. Paruchuri’s R01 grant from NIH-NIAID is titled “Integration of leukotriene and prostaglandin receptor signaling in mast cell activation and pulmonary inflammation during asthma.”

“The research project seeks to understand how asthma symptoms and other inflammatory conditions are aggravated by examining the link between two lipid mediators formed from fatty acids,” a University press release said.

Paruchuri has conducted research on these bio-lipids since her doctorate studies in Sweden and plans to put the grant to use with her colleague and co-investigator, Dr. Adam Smith, an assistant professor in chemistry at UA.

“This is a very exciting time, as we have recently published our work in a prestigious journal, Proceeding of National Academy of Sciences, and succeeded in securing this significant R01 grant from NIH, which is a gold standard in health science research,” Paruchuri said.

The R01 grant will also help train graduate students to become future scientists and continue to build UA’s reputation as a place of research and discovery.