# Mentoring in transmission of influenza and strategies for prevention

> **NIH NIH K24** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $178,602

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
This K24 proposal will provide protected time for Dr. Grijalva to deliver high-quality mentoring to post-doctoral
and junior faculty investigators as well as to expand his studies of influenza transmission and disease
prevention. Dr. Grijalva proposes a comprehensive and dedicated mentoring plan that will facilitate the
effective transition of his mentees into independent academic careers. The application includes a detailed
description of plans to augment Dr. Grijalva’s own training through acquisition of advanced skills in mentoring,
and modelling of transmission of infectious diseases and causal inference. His current research projects are
thematically linked through their focus on acute respiratory infections, especially influenza infections, with a
strong emphasis on identification of modifiable risk factors to inform subsequent interventions. Influenza
remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The primary strategy to attenuate the impact
of influenza epidemics is vaccination, but vaccine effectiveness is suboptimal. Alternative methods to prevent
the spread of influenza are needed. Little is known about the transmission of influenza in US households and
communities in our modern lifestyle. Our understanding of influenza transmission is largely based on
household studies that were done in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Diagnostic tests have changed, and current
molecular and sequencing techniques allow accurate identification of influenza transmission. Similarly, contact
patterns within households and communities have likely changed during the last decades, and widespread use
of electronic devices may have further modified those dynamics. Understanding the contemporary drivers of
influenza transmission within US households and communities is the foundation for preventative interventions.
The NIAID strategic plan to prevent influenza infections and design a Universal influenza vaccine has identified
modern studies of influenza transmission as an important research priority. Although a large proportion of
influenza infections are acquired at home, the role of household environment, contact patterns, and disease
severity on influenza transmission have not been well studied. Contemporary household case-ascertained
studies are efficient designs to quantify transmission parameters and to study the role of these and other novel
modifiable factors. The research aims are: 1) Test the hypothesis that modifiable factors, including household
temperature, relative humidity, and within-household social interactions are independently associated with the
risk of influenza transmission in households; 2) To provide a comprehensive assessment of the use and
effectiveness of antivirals in the prevention of influenza transmission in households; 3) Test the hypothesis that
the disease severity in the index case (first patient infected in the household), and the household exposure
intensity and duration modify the risk of ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10765618
- **Project number:** 5K24AI148459-05
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** CARLOS G GRIJALVA
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $178,602
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-02-03 → 2025-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10765618

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10765618, Mentoring in transmission of influenza and strategies for prevention (5K24AI148459-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10765618. Licensed CC0.

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