Center for Bat One Health Investigations and Outbreak Response
Official title: Center for Bat One Health Investigations, Research, and Outbreak Response (CHIRO)
Funded at Colorado State University · NIH-11608502 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A national research center will study how bat stress from heat and human activity affects bat biology and viruses to understand spillover risks 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) | $15,120 |
| NIH project number | 3U01AI190392-01S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11608502 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include populations in regions with bat-human interactions and communities affected by environmental changes linked to spillover risk.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals with no exposure to bats or located outside study regions may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This center uses fieldwork in West Africa plus lab and clinical studies to see how extreme heat, deforestation, and roost disturbance change bat behavior and virus shedding. Researchers will observe bats in Nigeria and Ghana, run lab experiments on stress responses, and examine how these factors may lead to viruses jumping to humans. The work follows a One Health approach, linking wildlife, the environment, and people to identify risk factors for outbreaks. The project spans field investigations, laboratory analyses, and clinical insights to inform prevention and response.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve prediction and prevention of bat-associated outbreaks and guide public health interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies in bat spillover have shown links between environmental stressors and viral shedding, supporting the potential value of this 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.