# BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application

> **NIH VA IK6** · VA EASTERN COLORADO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2024 · —

## Abstract

Project Summary
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a family of chronic disorders of the intestine afflicting nearly
3 million Americans. Consisting of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), IBD is
significantly increasing in severity and prevalence worldwide and represents a disease with one
of the highest hospitalization rates among American veterans. Incidence of IBD among military
service members is estimated to be 2-10 times greater than non-service members, with a
striking relationship between IBD incidence and the number of life stressors.
It is notable that the pathogenesis of IBD is incompletely understood. Ongoing work by us and
labs around the world suggests that imbalances in the gut microbiome (termed dysbiosis) in
combination with abnormal mucosal innate immunity play central roles in in the pathogenesis of
IBD. It is also clear that ongoing inflammatory responses are associated with profound shifts in
tissue metabolism that fundamentally influence barrier function and wound healing. These
studies have strongly implicated a loss of energy balance (i.e., “starved gut”) as a driving force
in the pathogenesis of IBD. Our ongoing studies are utilizing multi-disciplinary approaches to
identify molecular targets to bolster energy metabolism and promote inflammatory resolution in
mucosal inflammation. We hope to translate this fundamental research into the development of
novel therapeutics for veterans.
The research described in this Research Career Scientist Award proposal is highly collaborative
in nature, involving scientific interactions with multiple investigators at the Rocky Mountain
Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center as well as investigators at the San Diego Regional VA
Medical Center. I plan to continue fostering and expanding these productive collaborations. The
Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center and the Denver metro area provides a fertile
training ground for biomedical research Training of junior faculty, graduate students and
postdoctoral fellows are essential components of this Research Career Scientist Award. We will
continue building the infrastructure and mentoring environment to attract CDA2 candidates, and
thus help train the next generation of outstanding VA scientists.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10804856
- **Project number:** 1IK6BX006475-01
- **Recipient organization:** VA EASTERN COLORADO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Sean P Colgan
- **Activity code:** IK6 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-10-01 → 2028-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10804856

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10804856, BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application (1IK6BX006475-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10804856. Licensed CC0.

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