Center for Bat One Health Investigations, Research, and Outbreak Response
Official title: Center for Bat One Health Investigations, Research, and Outbreak Response (CHIRO)
Funded at Colorado State University · NIH-11608110 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A center focused on how stressors like heat and human activity affect bats and the viruses they carry, to help prevent spillover 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) | $54,000 |
| NIH project number | 3U01AI190392-01S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11608110 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include communities in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria) where bat-associated risks and human–bat interactions occur, and patients or populations at risk from emerging infections.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals with no exposure to bat habitats or related spillover risks may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This program studies how environmental and human-caused stress influence bat behavior, physiology, and virus evolution. Researchers will combine field work in West Africa with lab and clinical studies to track viral shedding and changes in bats under stress. By examining heat events, deforestation, and roost disturbance, the project aims to understand factors that raise the risk of viruses jumping from bats to people. The work spans multiple ecological systems and bat species that are important for human health. Results could inform outbreak prevention and public health strategies in affected regions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help reduce the risk of bat-borne virus spillovers to people and guide interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that animal–human interface factors can influence spillover risk, though this project expands to a broader One Health approach with field, lab, and clinical components.
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.