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Polymicrobial Tickborne Infection Immunology in an Endemic Region of Long Island, New York

Award Number: R01AI192865
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 06/22/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2031

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Polymicrobial Tickborne Infection Immunology in an Endemic Region of Long Island, New York - Project Summary Human diseases transmitted by the Ixodes scapularis tick such as Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) and babesiosis (Babesia microti) rank among the most clinically significant vector borne infections in the United States and continue to rise in the epidemic region of Long Island (LI), NY. The study team has observed marked expansion of seasonal tick activity and pathogen transmission as well as an unprecedented incidence of post-infectious syndromes (PIS). PIS, like post-treatment Lyme Disease syndrome, have no clear etiology and are hypothesized to be linked to immune dysregulation. However, large gaps remain in the understanding of the natural history of tickborne diseases (TBDs) that have prevented more effective diagnostics, treatment and prevention. The Program for Tickborne Diseases Research at Stony Brook University (SBU) is uniquely positioned to bridge this gap through the study of the evolution of ticks and human TBDs in a study area that consistently reports among the highest rates of TBDs in the country. The study team benefits from decades of experience and discoveries highlighting a dynamic and expanding risk of tickborne infection. Major advances in the understanding of Lyme disease and the other TBDs have been achieved by studying them as single entities. In this multi-PI R01 application, the conceptual innovation is a focus on the polymicrobial nature of tickborne infections. The central hypotheses are that 1) polymicrobial infection enhances clinical severity through early suppression of host immunity and that 2) study volunteers with persistent symptoms experience prolonged immune activation that correlates with time to recovery. The investigative team will test these hypotheses by interrogating longitudinal cohorts of study volunteers enrolled during acute TBDs at SBU and followed for one year. These infected cases are compared over time, but also to a healthy control group without TBD. The studies promise to reveal novel biology for ongoing development of diagnostics, drug- discovery and host-directed therapies. The technical approaches integrate clinical epidemiology of longitudinal cohorts of study volunteers with TBDs recruited at SBU compared to source community controls (Aim 1) and systems immunology approaches including spectral flow cytometry (Aim 2) and single cell genomics with VDJ sequencing and cell surface epitope mapping (Aim 3) to generate a first-in-class account of tickborne coinfection immunology in the epidemic, LI region. The patient catchment area, active and ongoing enrollment, and track record for being a major referral center for clinical care and research in tickborne infections will enable the study team to successfully conduct this proposal that is expected to be of high impact to the fields of TBD and PIS Immunology. The studies will also have wide-reaching impact on other national and global regions with polymicrobial tickborne infection ecology. As such, our results will be of high translational impact by defining host-directed therapeutic targets for TBDs derived from the human host-pathogen interface.


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: 2026 ( Subtotal = $787,580 )
2026	2026	THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	W5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	6/22/2026	NEW	$787,580
														Subtotal = $787,580

Grand Total All Awards = $787,580

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Polymicrobial Tickborne Infection Immunology in an Endemic Region of Long Island, New York

Award Number: R01AI192865

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 06/22/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2031

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