Congratulations to CMTM Faculty Hadi Nia and Bela Suki

Congratulations to CMTM faculty Hadi Nia (PI) and Bela Suki (co-I) awarded a new $2.8 million NIH Multi-PI grant to advance research at the intersection of engineering, physical sciences, immunology, and pulmonary medicine. The project, titled “Mosaic Pattern: Spatial and Temporal Alveolar Responses to Noxious Airborne Particles,” received an outstanding 1st percentile score in NIH peer review and will investigate how individual alveoli respond differently to inhaled harmful particles. By uncovering the mechanisms underlying this newly discovered “mosaic pattern” of lung function, the research aims to transform our understanding of how airborne pollutants and pathogens initiate lung injury and disease, ultimately informing new strategies for prevention and treatment.

This project is led by Dr. Hadi Nia (Biomedical Engineering) and Dr. Joseph Mizgerd (Director of the Pulmonary Center at Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine) as Multi-PIs, with Dr. Bela Suki BME and Dr. Katrina Traber (Pulmonary Center) serving as key co-investigators. The award exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary collaboration between BU’s College of Engineering and School of Medicine, a partnership that was strengthened through the Kilachand Fund. The grant builds directly on the team’s recent discovery published in Nature Biomedical Engineering highlighting how strategic institutional investment can catalyze high-impact discoveries and major external funding.