Leveraging evolutionary patterns to understand how gene expression changes over time
Official title: Leveraging phylogenetic approaches to investigate the evolution of geneexpression
Funded at Cornell University · NIH-11401776 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant uses evolutionary thinking to study how gene expression changes across species and how these changes relate to antibody-related genes in the immune system.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cornell University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ithaca, United States) |
| Project start | August 2, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $390,426 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM151348-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401776 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to a specific patient population; findings will inform broad biological understanding with potential downstream implications for human health.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefit is not the immediate goal of this basic science grant.
What this research studies
Researchers will apply phylogenetic methods to compare gene expression across species and develop new models tailored to functional genomic data. They will also explore how changes in promoter sequences relate to shifts in gene expression. A second focus will examine the evolution of Immunoglobulin genes that encode antibody recognition in B cells, with analyses at multiple biological scales. The work aims to provide tools and insights that can help interpret how genomic function evolves in health and disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve our understanding of how gene expression evolves, informing future studies on immune function and disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous methodological advances in phylogenetic analysis have changed how scientists study gene expression evolution and immunoglobulin gene evolution.
Where this research is happening
-
Cornell University
Ithaca, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pennell, Matthew Wesley — Cornell University
- Study coordinator: Pennell, Matthew Wesley
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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.