The Shape of Suffering: A New Map of Disease to Guide Biomedical Research
Official title: SoS:BIO: The Shape of Suffering: Topological Tools for Aligning Biomedical Research with Clinical Need and Biological Opportunity
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11591229 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new project creates a big-picture map of how diseases relate and where research today mismatches real patient needs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 11, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,529 |
| NIH project number | 1R01GM170988-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11591229 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Researchers and clinicians who study human diseases and their shared biology; no direct patient enrollment is required for the analysis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients will not directly participate in this project, as it is a computational analysis of existing data and literature.
What this research studies
This project will build a multi-layer network that links how diseases occur in patients, how research responds, and how biology offers opportunities. It uses advanced math tools to visualize the “shape” of research gaps, so funders and researchers can align efforts with actual disease burden. The goal is to make it easier to identify neglected disease relationships and opportunities that could benefit patients in the future. The work focuses on analyzing existing data to reveal patterns that connect diseases, biology, and clinical demand.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could guide funding and research priorities to better address the illnesses that matter most to patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown that mapping disease relationships can highlight gaps and opportunities in biomedical research, though this project advances the structural, topological approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Funk, Russell — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Funk, Russell
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.