# BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application

> **NIH VA IK6** · VETERANS ADMIN PALO ALTO HEALTH CARE SYS · 2024 · —

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT: Dr. Ngan F. Huang, PhD is a Research Biomedical Engineer whose
translational research program focuses on cardiovascular diseases and traumatic muscle injury, both of which
are highly relevant in Veteran populations. The overall goal of her research program is to develop novel
therapeutic strategies to improve tissue regeneration and functional restoration to cardiovascular and skeletal
muscle diseases/injuries experienced by Veterans. These therapeutic strategies are aimed to reduce mortality
and improve the quality of life of Veterans. The primary focus area of her laboratory's research program is to
study the role of biochemical and biomechanical cues within the extracellular matrix in modulating cell fate and
tissue function, in order to translate the basic insights into novel therapies that promote cardiovascular and
skeletal muscle regeneration in Veterans. Her active VA BLR&D Merit award focuses on the treatment of
traumatic muscle injury using engineered skeletal muscle that better mimics the physiological organization and
vascularization of native skeletal muscle. In particular, she employs parallel-aligned nanofibrillar collagen
scaffolds to guide the organization and synchronized contractility of newly formed muscle fibers. Additionally,
inter-cellular interactions between skeletal muscle progenitor cells and vascular endothelial cells create a
vascularized muscle tissue that can undergo anastomosis upon transplantation. Her laboratory reports seminal
knowledge in that treatment of pre-endothelialized and parallel-aligned engineered skeletal muscle induces more
de novo muscle regeneration, organized myofiber structure, and perfused vasculature, than in engineered
muscle lacking pre-endothelization or spatial patterning. Proteomic and transcriptomic analysis reveal new
insights into the basic signaling pathways and cytokine profile that mediate this process. In a parallel strategy
to augment muscle regeneration, she also developed off-the-shelf scaffolds with controlled release of muscle
reparative factors that can be transplanted to the site of VML in conjunction with regenerative rehabilitation. With
funding from an active VA RR&D Merit award, she merges rehabilitative exercise with the transplantation of
aligned nanofibrillar scaffolds that release pro-myogenic factors to improve vascularization, neuromuscular
junction formation, and force generation. These research findings impact the treatment of volumetric muscle
loss by synergizing therapeutic cells, instructive biomaterials, and rehabilitation to promote muscle regeneration.
Besides skeletal muscle, another research focus area is the treatment of peripheral arterial disease using
strategies to induce revascularization. In an active NIH R01 grant, she demonstrates that spatially aligned
nanofibrillar collagen scaffolds serve as effective carriers to enhance the pro-survival and pro-angiogenic
function of transplanted therapeutic cells, leading to the re...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10813064
- **Project number:** 5IK6BX006309-02
- **Recipient organization:** VETERANS ADMIN PALO ALTO HEALTH CARE SYS
- **Principal Investigator:** Ngan F. Huang
- **Activity code:** IK6 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-04-01 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10813064

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10813064, BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application (5IK6BX006309-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10813064. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*