# Discovering the Immunologic Mechanism of Ascaris-induced Allergic Airway Disease.

> **NIH NIH K08** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2022 · $187,477

## Abstract

Summary: Dr. Weatherhead is an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases
at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and a physician-scientist in the area of immunoparasitology. Her career
goal is to be an expert in parasitic health disparities and perform high-quality basic science research that
improves the health of children living in poverty. Children living in poverty are at high risk of parasitic infections
such as ascariasis, which infects over 800 million children and is associated with significant morbidity including
allergic airway disease. Dr. Weatherhead aims to dissect the complex host immune response to ascariasis in
order to highlight novel interventions that are urgently needed to prevent morbidity in children living in poverty.
Her unique skill set will allow her to serve as a link between laboratory discovery and field implementation of
newly developed anthelminthic targets. To accomplish these goals, Dr. Weatherhead has developed a
comprehensive career development plan which combines thorough mentoring and training activities integrated
into her basic and translational research program. She will have scheduled meetings with her invested
mentorship team, Dr. David Corry, an authority in molecular immunology and allergic airway disease, and Dr.
Peter Hotez, a global leader in parasitology and vaccine development. Dr. Weatherhead will receive additional
expert-level mentorship on the microbial-host immune interface from her scientific advisory committee.
Mentored research will be supplemented with formal training activities including graduate-level coursework,
participation in national scientific meetings and instruction in scientific communication and academic
leadership. Her career development plan is supported by a world-class scientific environment which offers
ample opportunities for junior faculty development and provides all the resources needed to achieve her career
goals. Dr. Weatherhead's research will evaluate the innate and adaptive immunologic mechanism by which
Ascaris larval lung migration induces allergic airway disease. The first aim will define the molecular pathway
involved in innate immune activation during pulmonary ascariasis. The second aim will determine when and for
how long the host loses peripheral immune tolerance as a result of Ascaris-induced adaptive immune
activation. Both aims will evaluate the immune pathways in the presence and absence of protease activity.
Questions outlined in this proposal are highly significant to the field of tropical medicine and parasitology
having the potential to shift our understanding of the complex parasite-host relationship, lending support to the
hypothesis that ascariasis is a leading cause of allergic airway disease in endemic regions. This proposal will
advance the comprehension of the mechanistic pathways of Ascaris-induced allergic airway disease as well as
provide therapeutic insight into asthma in general, suggesting novel interventio...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10330576
- **Project number:** 5K08AI143968-03
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Jill Elizabeth Weatherhead
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $187,477
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-02-20 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10330576

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10330576, Discovering the Immunologic Mechanism of Ascaris-induced Allergic Airway Disease. (5K08AI143968-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10330576. Licensed CC0.

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