Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) Program: Data Mining and Functional Validation (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The SCORCH (Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV) Program is currently offering a grant for projects that center on data mining and functional validation. Please note that clinical trials are not permitted under the scope of this grant.

The main goals of this initiative include the exploration of SCORCH data to pinpoint various elements - such as cell types, transcripts, enhancers, or transcriptional networks - that play a crucial role in the molecular responses to HIV/ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) or SUD (Substance Use Disorders).

The grant also welcomes projects aimed at conducting functional validation studies. These include but are not limited to, epigenomic or transcriptomic manipulation, high throughput secondary screening, and others. These studies would either confirm or negate a biological role for the aforementioned cellular components in the molecular responses to HIV/ART or SUD.

One of the key outcomes expected from this initiative is to provide foundational knowledge concerning SUD and/or HIV/ART molecular mechanisms. This knowledge could, in turn, stimulate the generation of validated targets that could serve as a pioneering platform for new therapeuticals for SUD or HIV, including those related to NeuroHIV cognitive phenotypes.