Mei Lab Awarded $1.5M R35 MIRA
A research program led by Dr. Kuo‑Ching Mei (Molecular Pharmaceutics) has received a Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA R35) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences totaling approximately $1.5 million in funding. The long-term, flexible funding is designed to support innovative scientific directions with the potential for broad impact.
Dr. Mei’s project centers on overcoming one of the most persistent challenges in gene therapy: immune-mediated barriers that limit patients’ ability to receive treatment. The work brings together targeted lipid nanoparticle delivery systems, protein and regulatory T‑cell engineering, and immunoengineering strategies to modulate immune responses to viral vectors such as adeno-associated virus, a widely used clinical platform.
The award will support efforts within the MEI Lab to develop a broadly applicable framework for reducing immunogenicity and enabling safe gene dosing and re-dosing. The research aims to improve the durability, safety, and accessibility of gene-based medicines for a wider range of patients.
