The COVID-19 Research Response Program Therapeutics Team, under the leadership of Drs. Paul Auwaerter and Mark Sulkowski, was provided philanthropic funds targeted for research in two critical topics related to the pandemic.
- Addressing clinical or translational research related to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines
- Gain an understanding of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.
Solicitation, review and awarding of grants are managed by staff of the Division of Infectious Diseases. Funding was provided through a generous gift to Johns Hopkins University from the Bentivoglio Family Fund.
COVID-19 Vaccine-related Research Fund (C19VRF)
Joel Blankson, MD, PhD, professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, is a recipient of a COVID-19 Vaccine-related Research Fund grant. The effect of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on people living with HIV and COVID-19 convalescent patients, will compare SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody and T-cell response in people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy and healthy donors following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and will also analyze these responses in COVID-19 convalescent patients.
Carl Latkin, PhD, professor in the School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior and Society and Department of Epidemiology and in the Division of Infectious Diseases, is a recipient of a COVID-19 Vaccine-related Research Fund grant. Developing and Evaluating Messaging Strategies to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake among Black Adults in the United States, will assess vaccine attitudes and beliefs among minority adults, while developing messaging strategies based on these findings to increase vaccine uptake and vaccination intentions among racial and ethnic minority adults. Results will be translated into guidance and toolkits to disseminate to public health entities to inform their vaccine roll-out programs.
Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome Discovery Fund (PAC19SDF)
Nisha Gilotra, MD, assistant professor in Division of Cardiology, is a recipient of a Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome Discovery Fund grant. Myocardial involvement in post-acute COVID syndrome, will leverage the Johns Hopkins Post-Acute COVID Team (PACT) Clinic to perform comprehensive, structured assessments in patients recovering from COVID-19 to determine the prevalence of myocardial dysfunction and probe determinants of persistent myocardial dysfunction, to develop multidisciplinary collaborative strategies for cardiac screening, risk stratification and tailored therapy to decrease future cardiovascular morbidity in COVID-19.
Steven Menez, MD, MHS, assistant professor in the Division of Nephrology, is a recipient of a Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome Discovery Fund grant. Epidemiologic and Translational Investigation of Subclinical AKI in COVID-19, will use an existing biorepository to evaluate for the presence of subclinical acute kidney injury (AKI) in ambulatory patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Patients diagnosed in the ambulatory setting with COVID-19 may require dedicated nephrology follow-up in the post-acute phase of COVID-19 disease progression.
