Wednesday, August 20, 2025 8/20/2025

Phylogenomic mechanisms of trait evolution and resilience to disease

Award Number: R35GM150590
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2028

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Phylogenomic mechanisms of trait evolution and resilience to disease - PROJECT SUMMARY Many species have evolved traits that are adaptive in specific environmental contexts but would be considered pathological in humans or in closely related lineages. In Antarctic fishes alone there has been an evolved loss of red blood cells (anemia), low skeletal density (osteopenia), accumulation of triglycerides (metabolic disease), loss of the glomerulus (kidney disease) and enlargement of the heart (cardiomegaly). How do these traits evolve, and how to species overcome the deleterious trade-offs associated with these phenotypic extremes? To complement traditional forward and population genetic approaches at identifying disease modifiers, my laboratory has been developing tools and resources for analysis of natural variation across species rich datasets. These tools allow us to track the patterns of protein coding and gene regulatory evolution across a phylogeny to assess the genomic and macroevolutionary trends that precede and follow specific instances of trait evolution. Over the next five years, we will apply these resources to focus on two main research areas: 1) identification of genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution and development of disease-relevant traits and 2) discovery of the molecular mechanisms underlying tissue plasticity in organs that experience seasonal atrophy and rejuvenation. My lab will focus on a suite of convergently evolved traits that have repeatedly appeared in taxonomically divergent fish lineages, including reduced skeletal density, increased corporeal lipid content, and the dynamic seasonal atrophy of the glomerulus in the kidney. To approach these questions, we will integrate comparative omic approaches in natural systems with the experimental modeling of our findings in the zebrafish. We seek to assess the fundamental genomic basis of trait evolution and disease resilience, including the impact of protein coding and gene regulatory variants, biased patterns of variation across the genome, contributions of gene flow, and the influence of historical contingency on trait evolution. Additionally, we will integrate comparative genomic analyses with case studies tissue plasticity at single cell resolution to isolate the molecular mechanisms by which tissue structure and function adapts to changes in the environment. Together, this research program will discover the phylogenomic origins of extreme traits, identify gene by environment interactions modifying trait presentation, will explore organismal resilience to pathology.


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 = $387,500 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM	4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD	HOUSTON	TX	77204	HARRIS	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	3	7/8/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$387,500
														Subtotal = $387,500

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $387,500 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM	4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD	HOUSTON	TX	77204	HARRIS	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	2	7/17/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$387,500
														Subtotal = $387,500

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $387,500 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM	4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD	HOUSTON	TX	77204	HARRIS	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	1	8/1/2023	NEW	$387,500
														Subtotal = $387,500

Grand Total All Awards = $1,162,500

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Phylogenomic mechanisms of trait evolution and resilience to disease

Award Number: R35GM150590

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2028

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