Understanding who is at risk for Valley Fever and why
Official title: Estimating and understanding implications of population susceptibility to coccidioidomycosis, an emerging infectious disease
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11295039 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how immunity in the population affects the spread of Valley Fever and how we might better protect people in areas like the Southwest.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | June 2, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $677,822 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI189698-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11295039 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals living in or traveling to the Southwest, especially in areas with higher exposure to dust and environmental risk factors, who might participate through surveillance or future vaccine-related studies.
✕Less likely to help
People not exposed to Coccidioides or in regions with very low risk may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Valley Fever, caused by Coccidioides spores, has led to increasing illness in the Southwest. The research team will use Bayesian methods to model population immunity and identify factors that raise infection risk, drawing on large surveillance data and individual risk factors such as dust exposure. The study aims to illuminate why the disease is spreading to new areas and how immunity gaps contribute to that expansion. By linking historical infection data with current surveillance, the project seeks to inform future prevention strategies and vaccine planning. Results could help public health officials tailor interventions to the communities most at risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could improve understanding of who is most at risk for Valley Fever and guide targeted prevention and vaccination planning.
How similar studies have gone: Previous analyses have linked exposure risk and surveillance data to disease patterns, but this project extends those findings with Bayesian models and broader population immunity angles.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Head, Jennifer — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Head, Jennifer
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Latin American Center for Emerging Infectious Disease Surveillance and Readiness
A regional collaboration in Peru and neighboring countries aims to strengthen early warning and monitoring for viruses that could jump from animals to people, helping communities prepare for outbreaks.
-
Center in Latin America to monitor emerging infectious diseases
A U01 grant supporting a collaboration between Peruvian and U.S. researchers to improve early detection and surveillance of regionally relevant viruses that could affect people, animals, and crops in Peru and neighboring areas.
-
Acanthamoeba as a modern model parasite to study infectious disease biology and mitochondria
A five-year project will define the mitochondrial proteins and pathways of Acanthamoeba castellanii to advance infectious disease biology and parasite metabolism.
-
IDEAL project helps predict vaccine response, infections, and asthma in early childhood
A Child-focused program will collect and share saliva, blood, and tissue samples from diverse infants to find biological patterns that predict how vaccines work, how respiratory infections occur, and who develops asthma.
-
Understanding how early-life immune development affects vaccine responses and asthma risk in children
This project uses lab-grown human immune cells from infants and young children to explore why some kids respond poorly to vaccines and are more prone to respiratory infections and asthma.
-
Multi-omic endotypes of vaccine response, respiratory infections, and asthma in children
A parent-friendly look at how early-life immune development shapes how kids respond to vaccines and stay free from lung infections and asthma, using advanced biological profiling.
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.