Center for Bat One Health: investigating bat health and spillover risk
Official title: Center for Bat One Health Investigations, Research, and Outbreak Response (CHIRO)
Funded at Colorado State University · NIH-11608505 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A center in West Africa and the U.S. will study how bat biology and environmental stressors influence virus shedding and the chance of viruses jumping to people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Colorado State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fort Collins, United States) |
| Project start | September 24, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $33,350 |
| NIH project number | 3U01AI190392-01S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11608505 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals living in areas with bat activity and zoonotic risk, or communities affected by bat-related outbreaks, could benefit from the knowledge generated.
✕Less likely to help
People in regions without bat-hosted viruses or spillover risk may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses fieldwork in Ghana and Nigeria along with lab and clinical studies to understand how heat, deforestation, and human disturbance affect bats and the viruses they carry. Researchers will examine bat behavior, physiology, and viral evolution to see how stress changes shedding patterns. The goal is to link environmental factors to the risk of human outbreaks and to improve responses to zoonotic threats through a One Health approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to better prediction and prevention of bat-borne outbreaks in people and inform policies to reduce spillover risk.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies in bat ecology and viral shedding have shown links between stressors and shedding, supporting a cautious optimism for CHIRO’s approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goldstein, Tracey — Colorado State University
- Study coordinator: Goldstein, Tracey
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.