PHILADELPHIA, October 27, 2025 – The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a Research Program Project (P01) grant to Raymond B. Penn, PhD, Center for Translational Medicine, Robley Dunglison Professor of Pulmonary Research, Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Medicine, Director of Pulmonary Research, Jane & Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute at Thomas Jefferson University. The $12 million grant supports a multidisciplinary research project focused on “Exploiting emerging ideas in G protein-coupled receptor biology and pharmacology to treat asthma.” The project will run from September 2025 to July 2030, with a total funding award of $11,947,585.
“This $12 million grant for asthma research validates the scientific excellence of our faculty and reinforces our commitment to translational medicine. Biomedical research funded through awards like this P01 is the direct engine of better patient care. It allows us to train the next generation of physician-scientists while simultaneously developing the innovative treatments that our patients need. This is a core part of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College mission,” said Said Ibrahim, MD, the Anthony F. and Gertrude M. DePalma Dean of Sidney Kimmel Medical College.
Asthma affects roughly 25 million people in America and carries an astonishing estimated $115 billion annual U.S. economic burden driven by medical costs, frequent ER visits and hospitalizations. “This comprehensive program project grant allows us to directly address an important NIH priority: advancing the science to discover more effective asthma drugs, guiding better care through evidence-based updates, and ultimately reducing the disparities tied to this disease,” said Penn, Lead Principal Investigator (PI) on the grant.
The research project comprises four highly collaborative projects supported by 3 Cores testing the central hypothesis that novel modes of G protein-coupled receptor regulation can be targeted to effect superior management of airway smooth muscle function and asthma.
The investigative team includes Thomas Jefferson University researchers who are leaders in the fields of asthma biology and receptor biology. Penn and Deepak Deshpande, PhD (Department of Medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College), and Jeffrey Benovic, PhD (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College) lead Projects and Cores focused on discovering new asthma drugs that target both long-established as well as novel targets in the lung. Drs. Roger Armen, PhD (College of Pharmacy), Charles Scott, PhD (Department of Biochemistry at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College), Ajay Nayak, PhD (Department of Medicine at the College of Life Sciences), and Suresh Joseph, PhD (Department of Pathology & Genomic Medicine at the College of Life Sciences) serve as co-Investigators.
"Securing this NIH grant for asthma research is a direct reflection of the extraordinary, multidisciplinary collaboration that is central to our mission at Thomas Jefferson University. This success isn't confined to a single department; it represents the shared expertise of our faculty across the College of Pharmacy, the College of Life Sciences, and the Sidney Kimmel Medical College. This collaborative approach allows us to tackle complex diseases from every angle—from discovery and pharmacy to clinical application—and that is the true strength of the University,” said Susan Aldridge, PhD, president of Thomas Jefferson University.
The P01 investigative team also includes national leaders in asthma/receptor biology from the Mayo Clinic (Y.S. Prakash, MD, PhD), Rutgers University (Reynold Panettieri, MD) and Stanford University (Brian Kobilka, PhD).