$2.8M Grant Renewal for Groundbreaking Blood Coagulation Research in Collaboration with UNC

UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Professor Alanna Morrison, PhD, and UNC School of Medicine pathologist Alisa Wolberg, PhD, have been awarded a grant renewal totaling $2,816,828 over four years for the project "Using Genomics and Functional Biology to Understand Fibrinogen and Factor XIII and Their Effects on Thrombotic Diseases." 

Morrison, professor and chair of Epidemiology Department, and the Thomas Stull Matney, PhD, Endowed Professorship in Environmental and Genetic Sciences, will serve as the co-primary investigator on the study.

This research, which began in February 2019, focuses on — a protein that aids the formation of blood clots in the body that are necessary to stop bleeding and heal wounds. Fibrinogen can also contribute to serious health complications that involve blood clots such as heart attacks and strokes.

During the previous grant cycle, an interdisciplinary collaboration was established between genetic epidemiologists and functional biologists.

This collaboration focused on how epigenetics, genes, and other factors that control gene activity affect the levels of fibrinogen in the body. Through this study, researchers assessed epigenetic associations with fibrinogen levels and translated genomic study results into a comprehensive understanding of fibrinogen's role in cardiovascular diseases. This work has resulted in 19 publications and presentations at national and international conferences.

In the renewal phase of the project, which began in February 2025, the research will continue to focus on fibrinogen and include a new investigation of factor XIII (FXIIIa), an essential component of blood coagulation and a significant determinant of bleeding and clotting.

Researchers aim to expand knowledge of the genetics of total levels and FXIIIa activity, which may be linked to an increased risk of heart disease. The renewal phase will investigate this occurrence in different population groups to assess the complex regulatory mechanisms influencing blood clot proteins.

Results from the study may leverage multidisciplinary expertise in genomic studies and functional biology to generate new findings about the genomic regulation of these protein factors and their independent or coordinated relationship with thrombotic diseases.

"It's been exciting to engage in this multidisciplinary work with Dr. Morrison and our team," Wolberg said. "We're grateful for this funding from the National Institutes of Health that enables us to help identify the causes and potential new treatments for heart and blood diseases," said Morrison.

The project involves Ron Hoogeveen, PhD, associate professor from Baylor College of Medicine, and Nicholas Smith, PhD, professor from the University of Washington. UTHealth Houston School of Public Health researchers include Paul de Vries, PhD, associate professor in epidemiology; Julie Hahn, MPH, doctoral student; and Michael Brown, MS, epidemiology senior statistician.