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HUNTINGDON -- Juniata College has been awarded a $551,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) SuRE Research Awards (R16) to fund research on Clostridioides difficile infection, a costly and difficult-to-treat condition commonly known as C. diff, to be led by Regina Lamendella, who is Juniata College's George '75 and Cynthia '76 Valko professor of biological sciences.
"C. diff infections kill more than 100,000 Americans each year. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has prioritized it as an urgent threat to health worldwide," Lamendella said. "C. diff is the most common nosocomial (healthcare-associated) infection, and the biggest risk factor is antibiotic exposure."
The NIH SuRE Research Awards (R16) are designed to aid research and capacity building at smaller institutions where at least 25% of students are Pell-eligible. This grant will fund undergraduate research over four years.
When antibiotics are used for a patient's treatment, both the good and bad bacteria within the gut microbiome are killed. With C. diff, the infection multiplies unchecked and releases toxins that cause catastrophic gastrointestinal symptoms. The infection is treatment-resistant with currently available antibiotics. Relapse is common, with 15-50% of those treated experiencing a recurrence of the C. diff infection. In a hospital or long-term care facility, C. diff can spread quickly.
Juniata College professors routinely engage students in every aspect of their research, no matter the project's size or complexity.
With undergraduate research experiences at Juniata College, students work in groups, receive feedback, and have their results published--all while finding solutions to real-world problems.
This research approach benefits the student and faculty mentor, with the collaborative partnership offering a distinct advantage to students pursuing graduate programs.
Research for this project has begun and Lamendella will be mentoring two undergraduate and one graduate student this summer.