Sponsor or institution
Clinical trials and research at University of Tennessee Knoxville
As of November 12, 2026, Find a Trial lists 75 NIH-funded research projects at this institution, with $28.0 million in listed awards. Every study is explained in plain English. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov and NIH RePORTER, updated November 12, 2026.
- 75NIH research projects
NIH-funded research (newest 40 of 75)
Early-stage science funded by the US National Institutes of Health. Most of these projects don't enroll patients, but they show what is being worked on.
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Tissue fission and fusion: how cells shape organs during development
A study in zebrafish will explore how forces inside and between cells drive the splitting and joining of tissue to form body organs.
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Strategies for HIV-to-HIV kidney transplants to increase organ donations
This project looks at making HIV-to-HIV kidney transplantation more common to help people with HIV get transplants faster by boosting organ donation and changing practice.
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BRIDGEX: Safer, clearer AI-guided robotic surgery through shared learning
A project to let surgeons and engineers share and improve explainable AI tools for robotic surgery, while protecting patient data.
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Optogenetic control of bacterial persistence to study biomaterial infections
A small NIH grant aims to use blue light to turn on a bacterial persistence mechanism in a lab model, helping us understand and fight infections on medical devices.
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How fever and hot spots inside immune cells boost neutrophil defense against Staphylococcus aureus
This project studies how fever and hot spots inside immune cells affect neutrophil defense and bacterial survival, with a focus on Staphylococcus aureus.
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Conquering Pain Together: A Family-Based Pain Support for Appalachian Breast Cancer Patients on AET
A family-centered program tests a supportive, culturally tailored approach to reduce pain for breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy in Appalachia.
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Programming DNA elimination in parasitic worms
A study to understand how certain parasitic worms remove parts of their DNA during development, which could reveal new ways to fight infections in children.
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Glycocalyx as a Switch That Could Block Viral Entry
A research project explores how the sugar-coated barrier on our cells might be remodeled to prevent flu viruses from entering cells.
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Mindful Movement: guided imagery app to boost activity in adults with overweight or obesity
A researcher-led plan to create and test an easy-to-use guided imagery app that helps adults with overweight or obesity stay more physically active.
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Longitudinal Pathways of Sign Language Development in Deaf Children
This project follows signing deaf children over several years to understand how sign language growth relates to later reading and writing skills and how a structured intervention called SISI supports that growth.
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Simulation-based planning to improve atrial fibrillation ablation
A precision cardiology project uses advanced simulations and AI to help tailor AF ablation procedures and improve outcomes for patients.
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How the 3D genome structure in human cells reacts to physical stress in health and cancer
A scientist at the University of Tennessee Knoxville is studying how the 3D folding of human chromosomes changes when cells experience physical stress, and what this means for cancer biology.
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Understanding how kinesin motors work in human cells
Researchers are studying how motor proteins called kinesins move cargo inside cells and how this affects cell function and health.
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Concurrent pediatric end-of-life care policy: improving outcomes for kids and families
A policy-focused study tests whether delivering hospice and medical care at the same time (concurrent care) improves outcomes for children with serious illness and support for their families.
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How bacteria divide and how to stop them with new drugs
Researchers are studying how E. coli cells divide at the molecular level to find new ways to stop bacterial growth.
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How cells build organelles from special ER regions
Scientists are studying how cells create new organelles like peroxisomes and lipid droplets from specialized regions of the endoplasmic reticulum, using yeast and human cell models to understand this basic biology.
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Adipose-Derived Stem Cells as a Model for HCMV Latency
A patient-friendly model using fat-derived stem cells to study how the herpesvirus CMV stays latent in the body and what could trigger it to reactivate.
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Nutritional factors shaping vaginal microbial communities
Aims to understand how nutrients and metals in the vagina influence which microbes dominate and how they interact inside this unique ecosystem.
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Genome-wide CRISPR screen in Candida albicans to study antifungal resistance
A scientist team will test how genes in Candida albicans affect resistance to antifungal drugs, with the aim of finding vulnerabilities that could guide better treatments for people with tough fungal infections.
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Cross-protective vaccine approach to prevent Leptospira infection
A research project aims to create a vaccine that protects people and animals from multiple Leptospira strains.
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Anaplasma-infected ticks: how the little bacterium helps itself survive and spread
A human-relevant tick pathogen study explores how Anaplasma phagocytophilum modulates tick biology to survive and move from ticks into people and animals.
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How neutrophil mitochondria and lactate shape inflammation in sepsis
This research examines whether high lactate and mitochondrial signals in neutrophils change inflammatory responses in people with severe bacterial infections (sepsis).
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SISI sign-language program for children ages 5–8
This program teaches and supports sign language skills for deaf children ages 5–8 to help their communication, reading, memory, and school learning.
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Helping heart failure patients take their medications with family support and clear information
This project helps patients with heart failure and their family members work together to make sure medications are taken correctly, aiming to improve health and prevent hospital stays.
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Timing your meals to improve weight loss
Sees if eating more calories earlier in the day and fewer later helps adults with obesity lose more weight while reducing hunger.
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How five-carbon (C5) metabolism affects human health
This work looks at how tiny C5 molecules made by the isoprenoid pathway influence cell health and conditions like dementia, adrenal disorders, and heart disease.
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How taste affects what we eat and our food choices
This study looks at how our sense of taste affects what we eat and helps us make better food choices, using mice to learn more about how our brains process different tastes, which could lead to better nutrition advice for everyone.
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Developing safer medicines using deuterium labeling techniques
This study is exploring new ways to make medications safer and more effective by adding a special form of hydrogen called deuterium to the drug molecules, and it's aimed at helping researchers create better treatments for everyone.
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Prenatal birth-control education for couples
This program gives pregnant people and their partners clear prenatal teaching to help them use contraception consistently after the baby is born.
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How cellular motor proteins carry cargo inside cells
This work looks at how molecular motors called kinesins move and are controlled inside cells to help understand diseases caused by faulty cilia.
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How chromosomes' 3D folding responds to physical stress in health and cancer
Researchers are looking at how the 3D folding of chromosomes in human cells changes when cells face physical stresses, to help people with cancer and related conditions.
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Computer-guided planning for heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) procedures
This project uses sensors and computer models to help doctors plan catheter ablation for people with atrial fibrillation.
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How bacteria divide and share their genetic material
This research helps us understand how bacteria grow and multiply, which could lead to new ways to fight infections.
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Improving End-of-Life Care for Children and Their Families
This project looks at how well a special type of care, called concurrent care, helps children with serious illnesses and their families during a difficult time.
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How Anaplasma Bacteria Survive in Ticks and Spread to People
This work explores how the bacteria that cause human anaplasmosis survive inside ticks and how they are passed on to people.
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Understanding how G protein-coupled receptors behave and interact with drugs
This study is looking at how a specific type of protein, called the A2A adenosine receptor, changes shape and works with other proteins, which could help us understand diseases better and find new treatments.
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How cells build their internal parts, like those involved in diabetes
This project aims to understand how cells create their internal structures, called organelles, which is important for conditions like adult-onset diabetes and Cerebro-Hepato-Renal Syndrome.
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How Bacteria Take In Medicines
This research helps us understand how bacteria absorb medicines like antibiotics, which could lead to better treatments for infections.
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Creating Better Medicines with Precision Chemistry
This work aims to develop new chemical methods to make medicines safer and more effective by precisely adding a special type of hydrogen called deuterium.
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Understanding how metabolism affects inflammation during severe bacterial infections
This study is looking at how changes in the body's metabolism during severe bacterial infections, like septicemia, affect important immune cells called neutrophils and their ability to fight off infections, with the hope of finding ways to help patients recover better.
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