Using genomics to improve care for cryptococcal meningitis in people with HIV
Official title: Genomic Research Capacity Building for Cryptococcal Meningitis
Funded at Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ · NIH-11381310 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds lab and training capacity to use genomic and immune testing to help adults with HIV who get cryptococcal meningitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Blacksburg, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2020 |
| Project end | November 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $122,478 |
| NIH project number | 3R01NS118538-06S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11381310 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with advanced HIV and confirmed cryptococcal meningitis treated at participating hospitals who can consent to sample collection and follow-up.
✕Less likely to help
Children under 21, people without cryptococcal meningitis, or those not treated at participating sites are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, the team is strengthening labs and training doctors and scientists in Uganda so they can do genomic and immune-system studies on cryptococcal meningitis. They will collect clinical samples from people with HIV and meningitis at partner hospitals and analyze fungal genes and host immune responses. The work links local clinical care with lab-based genomics to look for targets for better diagnostics and treatments. The project is a long-term partnership between Virginia Tech and Ugandan institutions to turn lab findings into practices that could be used in hospitals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new tests or treatment strategies that reduce death and long-term brain injury from cryptococcal meningitis in people with HIV.
How similar studies have gone: The team and others have made important discoveries about cryptococcal biology and immune responses, but translating those findings into widely used treatments remains limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
Blacksburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nielsen, Kirsten — Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
- Study coordinator: Nielsen, Kirsten
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Personalized Immunomodulatory Therapy for HIV-related Cryptococcal Meningitis
A patient-focused study investigates a personalized treatment approach to improve outcomes for people with HIV who develop cryptococcal meningitis.
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Improving Diagnostics and Neurocognitive Outcomes in HIV/AIDS-related Meningitis
A study in Uganda aims to use faster, better tests and a new antifungal to help people with HIV who develop meningitis.
-
TB meningitis diagnostic test compare and cost study in sub-Saharan Africa
Researchers are testing a new CSF urine-based test (SILVAMP TB LAM) to improve diagnosis of TB meningitis in people with HIV, to help speed treatment and reduce death in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Minimally Invasive Sampling to Improve HIV-Associated M meningitis Diagnosis in Africa
A research study is testing easier, less invasive ways to diagnose meningitis in people living with HIV, with a focus on making diagnosis faster and more accurate in Africa and the US.
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Understanding brain injury in kids with tuberculous meningitis (iThemba)
A study in children with TB meningitis in South Africa will look at how inflammation and blood-clotting factors relate to brain injury and infarcts.
-
Serological clues to survival in HIV-related cryptococcal meningitis
This grant looks for antibody signals in the blood that could predict who survives cryptococcal meningitis in people with HIV.
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.