UF McKnight Brain Institute researcher garners prestigious NIH grant

In recognition of his strong research record, a University of Florida scientist has received a 10-year, $3.3 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to continue his studies of the molecular mechanisms of lung inflammation.

The grant to Harry S. Nick, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience, was awarded through the National Institutes of Health MERIT award system. The “Method to Extend Research in Time” program is designed to support scientists with a distinguished research track record.

To be eligible, scientists must be nominated by their peers and have received at least 10 years of continuous NIH funding. They also must have consistently received among the best scores on their NIH grant proposals and be considered leaders in their field.

Nick is one of the developers of “in vivo footprinting,” a widely used technique that enables scientists to visualize the location of proteins attached to DNA and thereby also gain insight into how these proteins switch particular genes into the “on” or “off” position.

With the MERIT grant funds, Nick is researching genes that play a role in initiating or preventing inflammatory processes in the lungs, which could provide significant information on diseases such as asthma. His research also could shed light on other pulmonary diseases, including cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

“We’re interested in the exact mechanisms by which particular genes turn off and on,” said Nick, who is affiliated with the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute of UF. “We’re trying to understand how this ‘light switch’ works.”

In particular, Nick is examining the enzyme cytosolic phospholipase A2, which is involved in generating a compound that promotes the inflammatory response.

“By understanding how the gene is regulated, we may be able to use it as a potential therapeutic target to turn off, for example, the asthmatic response,” Nick said.