Organ-on-a-Chip technology to study human biology and drug effects in Idaho
Official title: Integration of Organ-on-a-Chip Technology to Advance Biomedical Sciences in Idaho
Funded at Idaho State University · NIH-11364748 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A state-of-the-art chip system with living human cells will be installed at Idaho State University to model human tissues and study how drugs behave and affect health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Idaho State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pocatello, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $239,113 |
| NIH project number | 1S10GM164795-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11364748 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Researchers and clinicians may benefit from more accurate models to test therapies relevant to cancer, infectious diseases, and diabetic foot ulcers.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is not described; the grant focuses on research infrastructure and modeling rather than recruiting patients.
What this research studies
This project brings a sophisticated organ-on-a-chip platform to Idaho to better simulate human organ function. Researchers will use microengineered chips lined with human cells to examine drug action, distribution, and toxicity in a controlled setting. The work aims to reduce animal testing and improve the prediction of how medicines behave in people, with emphasis on cancer models, infectious diseases, and diabetic foot ulcer therapies. The platform will support drug discovery and stability testing at ISU and involve students and biomedical researchers across the state.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could see faster development of safer and more effective drugs with better predictions of human responses.
How similar studies have gone: Organ-on-a-chip platforms have shown promise in better predicting human responses compared with traditional models in various studies.
Where this research is happening
-
Idaho State University
Pocatello, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Habashi, Ali Aghazadeh — Idaho State University
- Study coordinator: Habashi, Ali Aghazadeh
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.