Job Research Foundation Announces 2023 Grant Recipients

Foundation Marks Five Year Milestone

NEW YORK, March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Job Research Foundation was established to underwrite research of Job Syndrome, also known as Autosomal Dominant Hyperimmunoglobulin E Syndrome (AD-HIES), a rare multisystem immunodeficiency disorder. The Foundation's main goal is to help advance research to find a cure for Job Syndrome, and in the short term, improve treatments for patients suffering from the disease.

Since 2019 the Job Research Foundation has funded 14 scientific research projects. The scientists hail from Australia, Germany, Spain, the United States, and the UK. Additionally, the researchers are from prestigious institutions including the Garvan Institute, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Hospital Infantil Universitario, Rockefeller University, Massachusetts General/Harvard Medical School, University of Newcastle, University of Pennsylvania, Boston Children's Hospital, University of Freiburg, Columbia University, and the DHHS/NIH. More info and research reports can be found here https://www.jobresearchfoundation.org/grant-recipients.

The $200,000 research grants are distributed over a two-year period. While the pandemic presented challenges, all scientists are back on track to complete their projects. 

As stated by Dr. Alain Fischer, Chief Scientific Officer for Job Research Foundation, "The Job Research Foundation is transforming the perspective of "Job's disease." Both pathophysiology, namely the impact of STAT3 mutations on the lung function, how it heals following infection, and the clinics, for instance the impact of bone marrow transplantation and the prospect of gene therapy are being successfully investigated by scientists worldwide. JRF is truly a gamechanger."

As stated by Hongmei Mou, an Assistant Professor at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and a recipient of a Job Research Foundation grant, "My laboratory uses stem cell technology to study genetic mutations and environmental perturbations-associated lung diseases. Patients with Job Syndrome are prone to developing chronic airway infections with fungal pathogens and non-tuberculous mycobacteria. With the support from Job Research Foundation, we identified that abnormalities in airway epithelial differentiation and innate host defense are underlying mechanisms for pulmonary complications in Job Syndrome. This work created a publication and has accelerated my career growth in infectious disease modeling."

The recipients of the fifth round of grant funding are:

Dr. Maria A. Curotto de Lafaille, Associate Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. Research Project Title: "Cross-regulation of STAT signaling pathways in lung pathology of experimental HIES" (New York)

Professor Stuart Tangye, Senior Principal Research Fellow, Lab Head, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst. Research Project Title: "Immune dysregulation in Job Syndrome – elucidating mechanisms of STAT3-mediated host defense, humoral immunity and immune-mediated lung pathology" (Australia)

Previous recipients:

2019

• Ellen D. Renner, MD, Translational Immunology in Environmental Medicine - TU Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München, (Germany).
• Stuart Tangye, PhD, Head, Immunology & Immunodeficiency Lab, Garvan Institute of Medical Research (Australia)
• Bertrand Boisson, PhD, St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, The Rockefeller University (USA)
• Peter Olbrich, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator/Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiency Unit, and Olaf Neth MD, PhD, Principal Investigator and Head of Department/Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiency Unit; Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiency Unit, Hospital Infantil Virgen del Rocio, Sevilla (Spain)

2020

• Andrew Gennery, MD, Professor in Paediatric Immunology and Haematopoietic Stem Cell Therapies, University of Newcastle/Great North Children's Hospital (United Kingdom) with Alexandra Freeman, Austen Worth, Raffaele Badolato
• Vera P. Krymskaya, PhD, MBA, FCPP, Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania (USA) with Andrew Paris MD
• Hongmei Mou, PhD, Assistant Professor, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School (USA)
• Scott B. Snapper, MD, PhD, Wolpow Family Chair & Director, IBD Center; Professor of Pediatrics, HMS, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School (USA)

2021

• Mark Gorelik, MD, Assistant Professor Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Columbia University Vagelos School of Medicine (USA)
• Toni Cathomen, PhD, Professor of Cell and Gene Therapy, and Bodo Grimbacher, MD, Professor of Experimental Immunodeficiency, Medical Center - University of Freiburg (Germany)

2022

• Beate Hagle, Deputy Director Translational Immunology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, (German) with Carola Voss
• Suk See De Ravin, MD, PhD, Senior Research Physician, Chief, Gene Therapy Development Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, DHHS/NIH, (USA)

The Job Research Foundation will start accepting the next round of grant applications in July 2023. Visit https://www.jobresearchfoundation.org/ for additional details.  

Media Contact: 
Risa B. Hoag, GMG PR, 845-627-3000, [email protected] 

SOURCE Job Research Foundation