Thursday, February 19, 2026 2/19/2026

Computational approaches for the systematic detection of cell-cell interactions by spatial transcriptomics - Resubmission - 1

Award Number: R01LM013522
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2021
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2025

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Computational approaches for the systematic detection of cell-cell interactions by spatial transcriptomics - Resubmission - 1 - SUMMARY Many biological processes occur not at the level of a cell but at the level of a system, and cell-cell interactions are crucial for tissue function. With the introduction of single-cell RNA-Seq, we have robust measures of cell types and cell states. In this approach however, the tissue under study must be dissociated prior to sequencing resulting in the loss of spatial context. Spatial transcriptomics is a promising new field, in which several methods have been developed to profile the transcriptome of cells in their native context. However, the most widely used implementation of this technology – sequencing-based spatial transcriptomics – has not reached single-cell resolution. Thus, there is a critical need for novel computational approaches integrating spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA-Seq in order to infer cell-cell relationships in complex tissues. Our lab has recently developed analyses for multimodal intersection of these two data sources that effectively mitigate the limitations of each technology. Here, we propose to apply this concept to uncover patterns of cell-cell interactions in biological systems. In our first Aim, we present the StateMap approach to infer local cell-cell interactions by spatial transcriptomics-based co-localization and receptor-ligand relationships. A catalog of cell types and cell states is first delineated using single-cell data, and the spatial transcriptomics data is then harnessed to map pairs of co-localizing cell states. StateMap then systematically infers the cell-cell interaction mechanisms among co-localizing cell states by statistically testing for signal/response relationships in the spatial transcriptomics data. In our second Aim, we propose the ST-motif method to conceptualize the locations of cell types and states as a network, allowing for systematic analysis by a wealth of available methods. Our approach thus reframes the problem of finding cell-cell relationships as a network motif problem in this graph. Throughout our proposal, we develop and test the algorithms on two model systems, the male germline and the placenta, with which our lab has considerable experience. Conceptually, our proposal promises to yield novel algorithms for mapping cell-cell interactions that are required for actuating the potential of two powerful transcriptomic technologies.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2024	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY	550 1ST AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10016	NEW YORK	USA	Medical Library Assistance	000	4	6/26/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $360,188 )
2024	2024	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY	550 1ST AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10016	NEW YORK	USA	Medical Library Assistance	001	4	5/8/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$36,019
2024	2024	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY	550 1ST AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10016	NEW YORK	USA	Medical Library Assistance	000	4	3/20/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$324,169
														Subtotal = $360,188

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $360,188 )
2023	2023	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY	550 1ST AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10016	NEW YORK	USA	Medical Library Assistance	000	3	3/15/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$360,188
														Subtotal = $360,188

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $360,188 )
2022	2022	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY	550 1ST AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10016	NEW YORK	USA	Medical Library Assistance	000	2	2/28/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$360,188
														Subtotal = $360,188

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $360,188 )
2021	2021	NEW YORK UNIVERSITY	550 1ST AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10016	NEW YORK	USA	Medical Library Assistance	000	1	6/30/2021	NEW	$360,188
														Subtotal = $360,188

Grand Total All Awards = $1,440,752

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Computational approaches for the systematic detection of cell-cell interactions by spatial transcriptomics - Resubmission - 1

Award Number: R01LM013522

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2021

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2025

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer