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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Nurs Outlook. 2015 Jun 12;63(4):417–427. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2015.06.006

Table 2 –

Examples of Omics-based National Institutes of Health–funded Research Being Conducted by Faculty at Schools of Nursing

Title of Project Description Funding Source
Biobehavioral determinants of the microbiome and preterm birth in black women The goals of this study are to elucidate the biobehavioral determinants that govern the structure and dynamics of the microbiome of black women during pregnancy and to investigate whether microbiome composition is associated with preterm birth NINR: R01NR014800
Toxicity profiling: creating novel paradigms to personalize cancer treatment The goals of this study are to develop a two-stage model that will ultimately use clinical factors to screen for patients at increased risk and then perform genetic testing only on those select patients to refine the risk assessment, thereby improving clinical utility and feasibility NINR: R01NR013707
Pain sensitivity in low back pain This study will investigate the role of enhanced pain sensitivity on the risk of persistent low back pain through characterization of pain sensitivity and pain sensitivity candidate gene profiling NINR: R01NR013932
Epigenomics of patient outcomes after aneurysmal SAH This project will characterize the methylome of daily cerebrospinal fluid samples representing the central nervous system environment post aSAH to clarify the pathophysiology associated with delayed cerebral ischemia and patient outcomes NINR: R01NR013610
Genomic variability and symptomatology after traumatic brain injury The overall objective of this project is to determine the extent that variability in genes involved in the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway, responsible for cellular energy production, is responsible for variability in symptoms related to cognition, behavior, and emotion post-TBI. NINR: R01NR013342
Transcriptional regulation in the spinal cord after spinal cord injury: role for trkB.Tl in spinal cord injury pain and locomotor dysfunction The goal of this project is to understand how gene expression after spinal cord injury changes in the presence and absence of a truncated isoform of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) receptor, trkB.Tl. We used microarray technology to examine gene expression changes across genotypes, injury status, and time NINR: R01NR013601
What genes are differentially expressed in a mouse model of HIV treatment associated neuropathic pain? The goal for this project was to examine differential gene expression in the spinal cord of mice treated with a component of highly active antiretroviral treatment compared with mice treated with a vehicle control. We identified several differentially expressed genes, including the giant axonal neuropathy (Gan) gene. NINR: R01NR010207–02S1
Does the X-ROS signaling pathway play a role in human Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)? The goal of this project was to examine whether the X-ROS signaling pathway, which is dysregulated in a mouse model of DMD (the mdx mouse), is also dysregulated in human patients with DMD versus control patients. We used next-generation RNA sequencing to examine gene expression changes in the X-ROS signaling pathway from human muscle biopsy samples. NINR RC2NR011968
Longitudinal analysis of the Premature Infant Intestinal Microbiome Prior to Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Case-Control Study This is a case control study of infants with NEC and their unaffected counterparts. We conducted longitudinal analysis of the 16S rRNA genes of 312 samples obtained from 12 NEC cases and 26 age-matched controls. From this, we characterized the community structure of the intestinal microbiome of all infants and identified novel differences in children with NEC and age-matched controls. NINR: K23NR011320
The preterm infant microbiome: biological, behavioral and health outcomes at 2 and 4 years of age The microbiomes of 78 very low birthweight infants will be investigated including while they were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and following them through 4 years of age, studying the succession of the microbiome and the relationships of microbiome to early and later health outcomes. NINR: R01NR015446
Microbiome & Pain in IBS The goal of this grant is to define microbiome composition and pathophysiological features tied to symptoms and likely etiology. The first aim is to compare GI microbiome, permeability, and cytokines in women with IBS versus healthy controls (HCs) without IBS. The second aim is to compare abdominal pain, other IBS symptoms, and psychosocial distress symptoms in those IBS subjects with abnormal versus normal GI biomarkers. In addition, we will explore patterns of associations among GI biomarkers and of GI biomarkers with abdominal pain and other symptoms. The goal is to identify possible IBS subgroups based on biomarkers. NINR: R01NR014479
Unraveling the link of sleep to IBS: A Metabolomics Approach The aims of this study are to (a) compare plasma metabolites gathered during the night in women with IBS plus poor sleep to women with IBS but no complaint of poor sleep and HCs who deny poor sleep; (b) correlate TRY metabolites and their ratios with sleep and GI symptoms across all three groups; and (c) explore patterns of associations among GI, sleep, and psychological distress symptoms, polysomnographic, heart rate variability, and genetic polymorphisms in TRY in women with IBS and HC. NINR: R01NR015117
Epigenetics and Psychoneurologic Symptoms in Women with Breast Cancer 2-year longitudinal biobehavioral cohort study examining levels of psychoneurological symptoms (cognitive dysfunction, depressive symptoms, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and pain) and relationships to genomic/ epigenetic measures (DNA methylation, telomere length, micronuclei frequency) in women with early-stage breast cancer. NINR: R01NR012667
Muscle function and depression-like behavior in a mouse model of cancer fatigue The goal of this project is to understand the effects of cytokines on the molecular pathways causing depressed mood and skeletal muscle wasting and their interaction in an animal model of cancer related fatigue. NINR: R01NR012618
Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure The overall goal of this project is to delineate the psychobiological (genetic and environmental) mechanisms through which AA mothers’ perceived racial discrimination, mental health, and parenting behavior affect their own and their young children’s blood pressure over time. NINR: R01NR013520
Symptoms clusters in oncology patients receiving chemotherapy This study will evaluate for the occurrence and changes in symptom clusters in patients receiving chemotherapy for breast, lung, colon, or ovarian cancer. In addition, we will attempt to identify genetic markers in patients with different symptom experiences. NCI: R01CA134900

AA, African American; aSAH, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage; GI, gastrointestinal; HC, healthy controls; IBS, irritable bowel syndrome; NCI, National Cancer Institute; NEC, necrotizing enterocolitis; NINR, National Institute of Nursing Research; rRNA, ribosomal RNA; TBI, traumatic brain injury; TRY, tryptophan.