Protecting Gulf of Alaska communities from shellfish toxins
Official title: Knowledge Warding Against Toxin Levels
Funded at Sitka Tribe of Alaska · NIH-11387535 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project combines shellfish toxin testing and community surveys to help reduce paralytic shellfish poisoning risk for coastal Alaska and Alaska Native residents.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sitka Tribe of Alaska NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Sitka, United States) |
| Project start | March 20, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $556,471 |
| NIH project number | 5P01ES035551-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11387535 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are residents of Gulf of Alaska coastal communities—especially Alaska Native people—who harvest, prepare, or regularly eat local shellfish.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not live near the Gulf of Alaska or who never consume local shellfish are unlikely to receive direct benefit.
What this research studies
You and your community will help guide a tribally led center that tests shellfish for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) using laboratory methods like receptor binding assays and HPLC. The team will collect shellfish from Gulf of Alaska coastal communities and analyze toxin levels in a central lab run by the Sitka Tribe. Researchers will also talk with residents through interviews and surveys to learn about harvesting habits, local warnings, and community concerns. A Community Engagement Core will work with tribal partners to share results, support local monitoring, and promote safer harvesting practices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lower PSP cases by improving local monitoring, warnings, and community-led prevention.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory monitoring and community outreach have reduced shellfish toxin risks in other regions, but a tribally led, Alaska-specific center combining lab testing with surveys is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Sitka Tribe of Alaska
Sitka, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Feldpausch, Jeff — Sitka Tribe of Alaska
- Study coordinator: Feldpausch, Jeff
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.