# Autophagy, Inflammation and Metabolism (AIM) in Disease Center

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · 2021 · $2,180,372

## Abstract

SUMMARY
Autophagy is a fundamental homeostatic and metabolic intracellular process operational in all healthy human
cells. Autophagy sustains cellular metabolic needs during starvation or growth factor withdrawal, cleanses the
cell interior by removing damaged organelles and toxic protein aggregates, and rids cells of endogenous or
exogenous promoters of inflammation. Increasingly studied, autophagy broadly affects human health and
disease with disorders ranging from inflammatory, metabolic (diabetes, obesity), infection, autoimmune,
cancer, neurodegeneration, and aging. The proposed Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) for
Autophagy, Inflammation, and Metabolism (AIM) in Disease will serve biomedical excellence for mentored
research on autophagy and its interactions with inflammatory and metabolic processes. Both New Mexico and
the nation lack a program to develop faculty and coherent research programs in this novel, evolving area with
translational implications. With regional and national implications, AIM will close that gap.
 University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNM HSC) employs national and international leaders
in autophagy plus junior investigators exploring the intersections of inflammation, metabolism, and other
processes with autophagy. UNM HSC offers (i) institutional support, (ii) future faculty hires, (iii) translational
resources (Clinical and Translational Science Center), (iv) faculty mentoring, and (v) effective infrastructure to
secure AIM as a national center of excellence. In turn, AIM will provide state-of-the-art equipment, technical
expertise, training, and mentoring to win R01 funding for multiple new projects. AIM will build on the strength of
the initial cohort of investigators and mentors, recruit new investigators, and develop a sustainable center to
meet Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program goals.
 Specific Aim 1. Establish a nationally recognized AIM CoBRE to pioneer the study of autophagy and its
connections with inflammation and metabolism as a basis of disease.
 Specific Aim 2. Develop a critical mass of investigators within AIM's research scope, establish mentoring
infrastructure to enable junior faculty career development, and provide mentoring support for investigators to
achieve independent NIH funding.
 Specific Aim 3. Establish scientific cores to enable present and future cohorts of mentored PIs, as well as
the scientific community at UNM HSC and New Mexico.
 AIM will enable local growth in scientific resources, complement existing facilities without overlaps, develop
a cadre of excellent faculty, and increase research funding institutionally and statewide. AIM will interface with
other New Mexico IDeA centers and synergize without duplicating existing cores, facilities, and shared
resources at UNM HSC and the region.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10249116
- **Project number:** 5P20GM121176-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** VOJO P DERETIC
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $2,180,372
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10249116

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10249116, Autophagy, Inflammation and Metabolism (AIM) in Disease Center (5P20GM121176-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10249116. Licensed CC0.

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