Sex differences in how the brain, gut, and microbes interact in IBS
Official title: Sex related differences in Brain Gut Microbiome Interactions in Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11303027 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large NIH grant is studying how sex differences in brain–gut–microbiome interactions relate to IBS and its related symptoms, with a focus on women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,499,717 |
| NIH project number | 2U54DK123755-06A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11303027 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with IBS (especially females) and healthy controls who can provide clinical data and biological samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without IBS or who cannot participate in the required assessments and sample collection may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This program explores why IBS and its associated symptoms are more prominent in females by looking at brain signals, gut microbes, and stress responses. Researchers will use clinical data, environmental stress measures, and biological samples from people with IBS and healthy controls, including both men and women. They will also investigate non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation as a potential treatment to modulate symptoms. The work is organized into three linked projects with shared cores to analyze data, manage administration, and support career development for researchers. The goal is to identify pathways that could lead to sex-specific approaches to mitigating IBS symptoms and related conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to more personalized, sex-specific strategies to manage IBS and associated symptoms.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown sex differences in IBS prevalence and symptoms, with this project building on those observations using integrated brain–gut–microbiome analyses.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chang, Lin — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Chang, Lin
Related research
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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.