# The Third Pittsburgh Rust Belt Microbiome Conference > **NIH NIH R13** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2024 · $5,000 ## Abstract Project Summary This application requests partial funding for the Third Pittsburgh Rust Belt Microbiome (RBM) Conference 2024. Here, we intend to leverage the strength, successes and lessons learned from the conferences held in 2019 and 2022 with an exciting and forward-thinking program featuring a focus on mechanistic studies of the microbiome through cutting-edge basic and translational research and new developments in the role of the microbiome in infectious disease, clinical science, and personalized medicine. Our goal is to establish this conference as a biennial event open to nation-wide attendance yet focused on bringing together the microbiome research and clinical communities from the “Rust Belt” region including Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center [UPMC], Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne, Allegheny General Hospital, as well as Allegheny College, Carlow University, and Chatham University) and nearby cities (including Buffalo, Morgantown, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Columbus). The conference will be open to national attendance, while promoting inclusion of undergraduate and regional institutions and hospital staff who may otherwise have limited access to national/international conferences on human pathogens and the microbiome. While research in the microbiome space is presented at other national meetings, the RBM conference distinguishes itself in multiple ways including research topics focused on new technologies that can be incorporated into microbiome studies, understanding the challenges and successes of incorporating the microbiome in translational and clinical settings, and the importance of evolution and adaptation processes in host-microbiome interactions of adults and infants. Further, the conference emphasizes the integration of basic and clinical researchers, along with highlighting the work of students and junior investigators. To this end, the conference will feature several “rapid-fire” sessions for short talks from junior investigators chosen by the organizing committee from submitted abstracts. There will also be opportunities for students to present their work in an interactive poster session in which posters are grouped by topics and students orally present posters to their peers and senior investigators knowledgeable of the subject area. Opportunities for students to interact with speakers will also be organized. As a part of RBM 2024, we are also growing a workshop (piloted in the 2022 conference) for undergraduates and graduate students on scientific communication to the wider public which will include the involvement of expert faculty in public communication of science and technology from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University. The conference brings together leading scientists from multiple disciplines and institutions to advance this vital field while striving for an inclusive meeting that actively involves and promotes student... ## Key facts - **NIH application ID:** 11000444 - **Project number:** 1R13AI186418-01 - **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH - **Principal Investigator:** Natalia Luisa Hiller - **Activity code:** R13 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.) - **Funding institute:** NIH - **Fiscal year:** 2024 - **Award amount:** $5,000 - **Award type:** 1 - **Project period:** 2024-08-05 → 2025-07-31 ## Primary source NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11000444 ## Citation > US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11000444, The Third Pittsburgh Rust Belt Microbiome Conference (1R13AI186418-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11000444. Licensed CC0. --- *[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*