Dyadic transplant self-care: how caregivers shape outcomes
Official title: A Dyadic Approach to Understanding Transplant Self-Care and Outcomes: A Mixed Methods Study
Funded at Villanova University · NIH-11446288 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study will look at how patients awaiting lung transplants and their caregivers work together to manage post-transplant care and what this means for health and recovery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Villanova University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Villanova, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $751,695 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL184123-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11446288 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people awaiting organ transplants and their primary informal caregivers who are involved in post-transplant self-care.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without a caregiver or with unclear caregiver involvement may experience limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project follows patients awaiting organ transplants and their caregivers over time to understand how their joint care routines affect recovery and quality of life. It uses both numbers and personal stories to examine how caregiver support changes clinical outcomes and daily functioning after transplant. The findings should reveal concrete ways clinicians can involve caregivers in care plans to improve success after transplantation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to better caregiver-focused strategies that improve survival and quality of life for transplant patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research on caregiver roles in transplant care is limited and inconsistent, making this both a novel and promising approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Villanova University
Villanova, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koons, Brittany — Villanova University
- Study coordinator: Koons, Brittany
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Targeting early oral GVHD to improve mouth health after stem cell transplant
A study at UW–Madison will explore why some transplant patients develop painful oral GVHD and test ideas to prevent and lessen mouth-related problems.
-
Innate and Adaptive Immunoregulation in Liver Transplant Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
A liver transplant-focused project investigates how the body’s early and later immune responses affect transplant failure or success after reperfusion.
-
Exercise-based frailty program for people awaiting lung transplants
A tailored exercise and lifestyle program is being tested to reduce frailty and improve outcomes for people waiting for a lung transplant.
-
Diabetes and Donor Tissue in Corneal Transplants
This grant studies whether corneas from donors with diabetes affect the success of Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) and what factors predict better or worse outcomes.
-
Microbial clues to diagnose and predict infections in kidney transplant patients
A patient-focused project will look for microbial biomarkers in stool, blood, and urine to help doctors predict and diagnose infections in people who have had a kidney transplant.
-
Medicare Advantage and Transplant Access for Rural and Vulnerable Communities
Aimed at understanding how Medicare Advantage affects early steps to kidney transplant for adults in rural or socioeconomically challenged groups.
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.