FSR Research Grant Awardees

Current Funded Research

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is dedicated to advancing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of sarcoidosis through innovative, patient-centered research initiatives. FSR's commitment is reflected in the nearly $10 million of dollars invested in groundbreaking projects that address the urgent needs of the sarcoidosis community and pave the way toward critical insights.

FSR’s current portfolio of funded projects spans a diverse range of scientific and clinical studies, from developing new disease models and investigating environmental risk factors, to improving patient care and accelerating therapeutic breakthroughs. We actively support early-stage investigators and pilot projects in various manifestations of sarcoidosis. By supporting these projects, FSR aims to transform the landscape of sarcoidosis research and improve outcomes for patients worldwide. We invite you to explore our current funded projects and join us in our mission to stop sarcoidosis.

2025 Awardees

FSR Fellowship Grant

Wren Lippitt, PhD

University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus

Project: Developing imaging biomarkers for sarcoidosis considering population health patterns

Project Summary

Lung disease occurs in >90% of individuals affected by sarcoidosis. Radiologists often use computed tomography (CT) images to assess lung disease, but their assessments vary substantially across radiologists and institutions and are costly for research. The first aim of this project is to develop reliable AI tools for research use to automatically evaluate sarcoidosis lung disease using a large collection of chest CT images already visually assessed by expert radiologists. This proposal includes (1) a large patient data registry from many institutions with diverse lung presentations; (2) use of innovative image analysis techniques to support consistent image assessment across institutions and (3) clinical relevance of developed tools achieved through corresponding restriction of research data used to clinically available data. These tools will allow researchers to incorporate existing clinical CT images in their studies without diverting resources to obtain higher quality images or new radiologist assessments. They will also facilitate comparisons of findings across different studies. In future, these tools may support automated risk assessments in clinical practice.

The second and equally critical aim of this project is to examine how technical aspects of incorporating race, sex, and age in tools might exacerbate real-world health disparities. For example, since Black men have higher rates of lung fibrosis, incorporating race might make a fibrosis tool more accurate or it could hide and systematize this disparity, causing harm. Careful, transparent consideration will help create fair and effective tools for all patients and set a standard for future sarcoidosis research in imaging tool development.

Juan Carlos Quijano-Campos, RN, BSc, MSc

King’s College London

Project: Health-related quality of life in cardiac sarcoidosis

Project Summary

Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a rare condition that causes swelling in the heart. This swelling can make the heart beating too fast, too slow, or not work properly. Some people with CS feel very tired, dizzy, or short of breath. In some cases, CS can cause serious heart problems. however, we do not fully understand how this condition affects people’s daily lives.

The CARD-SARC questionnaire has been created to measure quality of life in CS. This study will ask participants to complete the CARD-SARC at different times, so we can learn if their symptoms change over time. Their answers will be compared to other questionnaires and medical tests like heart scans. Then, we will check if the CARD-SARC can detect changes in quality of life.

This research study will take place in three specialist hospitals: two in the UK (Barts and Papworth) and one in the USA (Cleveland). The results of this study will help doctors to make better treatment plans. Also, this study will help shape future research on quality of life, which will contribute to improvements in care for people with CS worldwide.

Paul Ettel, MD

Medical University of Vienna

Project: Targeting metabolic crosstalk by immune cells in sarcoidosis

Project Summary

Granulomas are dense clusters of immune cells, mainly macrophages, that form in response to chronic inflammation caused by bacteria, foreign substances, or autoimmune disease. They play a central role in diseases like sarcoidosis, yet the factors controlling their formation remain poorly understood. Recently, researchers have started to study how macrophages in the granuloma communicate with other immune cells and how this drives the diseases. Understanding these interactions could reveal new ways to reduce granulomas and ease disease burden in sarcoidosis.

One type of immune cell, however, that has been largely overlooked in this context, are neutrophils. Neutrophils are the body's most common immune cells and respond quickly to infections, but their role in chronic inflammation, like that seen in sarcoidosis, is not well studied.

This research project aims to uncover how neutrophils influence granuloma formation in sarcoidosis. Using advanced techniques, we aim to study neutrophils in state-of-the-art mouse models of sarcoidosis and in patient samples how neutrophils interact with macrophages during granuloma development.

FSR Pilot Grant

Vivienne Kahlmann, MD

Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam

Project: High-resolution computer tomography phenotypes and their correlation with pulmonary function and treatment response in pulmonary sarcoidosis

Project Summary

Sarcoidosis is a rare disease that can affect almost any organ, but in up to 90% of patients the lungs are involved. The course of the disease is highly unpredictable: some patients improve without treatment, while others develop permanent lung damage and scarring (pulmonary fibrosis). Currently, there are no reliable tests to predict the course of disease and response to treatment. Decisions about whether to start treatment therefore rely heavily on shared discussions between patients and their doctors. These decisions are usually guided by pulmonary function test, blood tests, and imaging such as CT scans of the lungs.

Recently, an international group of experts agreed on a new way to classify CT scans in pulmonary sarcoidosis. They identified seven distinct patterns, also called “radiological phenotypes. These phenotypes may help doctors better understand how the disease is likely to progress in individual patients. However, no data on their clinical relevance and value for prognosis are available yet.

Our project will use data from the PREDMETH trial, the largest sarcoidosis treatment study in patients who had not received treatment before. This trial showed that methotrexate was not inferior to prednisone as a first-line therapy for sarcoidosis. As part of routine care, baseline CT scans of the lungs were performed. In this study, we will test whether the predefined radiological phenotypes are linked to lung function and treatment response. By combining imaging with pulmonary function test and patient-reported outcomes, the current study proposal aims to identify imaging markers that enable more personalized treatment decisions and improve care for people living with sarcoidosis.

Christen Vagts, MD

University of Illinois at Chicago

Project: Monocyte Dysregulation as a Driver of Fibrotic Progression in Sarcoidosis

Project Summary

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can cause lasting damage to the lungs. For some people, this leads to scarring (fibrosis), which is the most severe and life-threatening form of the disease. Unfortunately, we still do not understand why some patients develop fibrosis while others do not, and there are no reliable tests to predict who is at risk.

Our research focuses on circulating monocytes, a type of immune cell found in the blood. These cells can travel into tissues and become macrophages, which play key roles in inflammation and healing. Using cutting-edge single-cell technologies, our team has found that monocytes in patients with fibrotic sarcoidosis behave differently from those in patients without fibrosis. They are less able to activate the immune system or clear damaged cells, but more likely to stick to blood vessels, changes that may promote scarring.

This study will test those findings directly. First, we will measure how well monocytes from patients with and without fibrosis can activate immune responses, clear damaged cells, and interact with blood vessel surfaces. Next, we will study how these monocytes turn into macrophages, and whether they are more likely to become scarring-promoting cells.

By linking detailed lab testing with patient data, our work will identify new biomarkers to predict disease progression and treatment response. This will help doctors recognize which patients are most at risk for fibrosis and guide the development of new therapies. Our multidisciplinary team brings together sarcoidosis experts, immunologists, and molecular biologists to ensure this project directly supports the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research’s mission to improve care, outcomes, and quality of life for people living with sarcoidosis.

FSR Cardiac Grant

Nisha Gilotra, MD

Johns Hopkins University

Project: Phenotypic Stratification in CS: A Machine Learning and Patient-Centered Approach

Project Summary

When sarcoidosis affects the heart, it can drastically reduce patient survival and increase sudden cardiac death. However, individual variability in symptoms and treatment response makes it challenging to diagnose, manage and counsel patients. To address this, we propose using machine learning (ML) to more precisely define subgroups of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) and differences in how they experience the disease, to better inform clinicians and patients living with CS.

Our prior work identifies differences in how patients experience CS. For example, individuals presenting with heart involvement first tend to be younger, predominantly White and male, and at higher risk of ventricular arrhythmia and heart transplantation. Furthermore, we show that artificial intelligence can predict arrhythmia and death using cardiac images. However, prior studies have often overlooked patient perspectives on their disease status. We hypothesize that integrating ML with clinical data and patient-reported outcomes can better define subgroups of CS and predict who will experience organ involvement, treatment response, symptoms or cardiac events. We will study approximately 450 patients with CS. Our preliminary data applying ML to our cohort identifies 4 distinct subgroups of patients. We will further investigate these relationships and add patient reported outcomes to these data. We will then investigate biomarkers of inflammation and fibrosis to determine their relationship with identified subgroups.

This collaborative research involves sarcoidosis, cardiology, engineering and immunology experts and aligns with the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research’s mission to advance diagnostic biomarkers that inform the field. By focusing on a diverse patient cohort and actively engaging patients in the process, we are committed to addressing critical questions around CS while training the next generation, ultimately advancing personalized care and improving outcomes in sarcoidosis.

Chieh-Yu Lin, MD, PhD

Washington University in St. Louis

Project: Molecular Imaging to Measure Disease Activity and Predict Treatment Response in Cardiac Sarcoidosis

Project Summary

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can affect many different parts of the body. When it involves the heart (cardiac sarcoidosis), patients can experience irregular heartbeats, heart failure, or even sudden death. For this reason, it is crucial to identify this condition and find ways to monitor disease progression after treatment for cardiac sarcoidosis patients.

Currently, diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis is very challenging even with advanced imaging studies and laboratory testing. While biopsies (taking a small piece of heart muscle) can provide the most definitive evidence (gold standard) of cardiac sarcoidosis, this technique is an invasive procedure. Also, biopsy does not always capture the sarcoid lesions because they are somewhat variable in their distribution in the heart. PET imaging and cardiac MRI have been used to diagnose cardiac sarcoidosis, but the imaging findings overlap with other non-sarcoid conditions. Consequently, doctors cannot accurately monitor treatment effects to figure out whether patients are improving or getting worse.

Our group has shown that the inflammation of cardiac sarcoidosis carries a specific marker of inflammation, CCR2. We hypothesize that we can utilize this signal to better diagnose and monitor cardiac sarcoidosis patients. We have developed a CCR2-specific PET imaging tracer, which works with PET scanners currently in clinical use. This tracer has been used safely in human studies for other disease conditions. We propose to utilize this CCR2-specific PET tracer to diagnose and monitor cardiac sarcoidosis. Our plan is to perform one scan at initial diagnosis, and then do another study 6 months after treatment to monitor disease progression. We believe that using this noninvasive, biology-based PET tracer with improve care of cardiac sarcoidosis patients and provide new insights into treatment, progression and diagnosis of this life-threatening disease.

FSR/ATS Partner Grant

Mark Mallozzi, MD, MPH

National Jewish Health

Project: Association of PM2.5 exposure with sarcoidosis outcomes at baseline and longitudinal follow-up

Project Summary

This study will look at a possible link between air pollution and sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a disease of inflammation that commonly affects the lungs but can affect many parts of the body. The goal of the study is to see if exposure to a specific air pollutant, called PM2.5, is linked to differences in how sarcoidosis affects people. Connections have been made before between PM2.5 and more common lung diseases, like asthma and COPD. The study will estimate exposure to PM2.5 based on study participants’ home addresses.

Differences in how sarcoidosis affects the lungs, heart, brain, and skin of people in the study will be looked at based on their average exposure to PM2.5. To prepare for future work on how PM2.5 might cause these effects, the study will also look at differences in blood tests among people in the study. The authors will also look at how the effects of PM2.5 differ based on the demographics of the people in the study, such as race and sex, because studies in the past have shown that certain groups of people are more affected by sarcoidosis. This study will identify a link between exposure to a specific air pollutant, called PM2.5, and sarcoidosis and help future research to determine the effects air pollution has on the health of people with this condition.

2024 Awardees

FSR Fellowship Grant

Greer Waldrop, MD

University of California, San Francisco

Project: Defining Neurosarcoidosis: From Disease Activity to the CNS Transcriptome

Miles Hagner, MD

University of Iowa

Project: The Role of Airway Epithelial Responses in Sarcoidosis Pathophysiology

FSR Pilot Grant

Shaikh Muhammad Atif, PhD

University of Colorado

Project: Understanding the role of Aspergillus nidulans induced Immune responses in sarcoidosis

Claire M. Rice, PhD, FRCP

University of Bristol

Project: Cell-free DNA as a biomarker for neurosarcoidosis

Satish Sati, PhD

University of Pennsylvania

Project: Project: Role of Type 1 Innate Lymphoid Cells in Sarcoidosis

FSR Cardiac Grant

Eliot Peyster, MD

University of Pennsylvania

Project: Establishing a True Gold Standard for Cardiac Sarcoidosis Diagnosis with Quantitative Multi-Marker Immunofluorescence

Ravi Karra, MD, MHS

Duke University

Project: Repurposing Tc 99m Tilmanocept Imaging for Cardiac Sarcoidosis

2023 Awardees

FSR Fellowship Grant

Christen Vagts, MD

University of Illinois

Project: Immune Mediators of Active Advanced Pulmonary Sarcoidosis

FSR Pilot Grant

Thomas El Jammal, MD

Hôpital de la Croix Rousse

Project: TBK1 Function in Sarcoidosis: How Genetic Variant Alters Mitochondrial Homeostasis

FSR Cardiac Grant

Daniela Cihakova, MD, PhD

Johns Hopkins University

Project: 3D morphological and spatial transcriptomic analysis of cardiac sarcoidosis

Senthil Selvaraj, MD, MS, MA

Duke University

Project: Diagnostic Utility of SGLT2 Inhibition to Facilitate Myocardial Glucose Suppression During Evaluation of Cardiac Inflammation on FDG-PET

2022 Awardees

FSR Fellowship Grant

Nancy Lin, MD

National Jewish Health/ Johns Hopkins University

Project: Defining MicroRNA Biomarkers in Sarcoidosis

FSR Pilot Grant

Alicia Gerke, MD, MBA

University of Iowa

Project: Airway Epithelial Response to Residential Antigens in Mild and Severe Sarcoidosis

Amanda Piquet, MD

University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus

Project: Biomarkers of Inflammation and Neuronal Injury with Associated Clinical Outcome Measures in Neurosarcoidosis: A Pilot Study

FSR Cardiac Grant

Nabeel Hamzeh, MD

University of Iowa

Project: Cardiac-Specific Cell Free DNA Biomarkers for Cardiac Sarcoidosis

FSR/ATS Partner Grant

Auyon Ghosh, MD, MPH

SUNY Upstate Medical University

Project: Gene expression signatures of extrapulmonary sarcoidosis

Other Past Awardees

FSR Fellowship Grant

FSR Pilot Grant

FSR Partner Grants

Shu-Yi Liao, MD, MPH, ScD – National Jewish Health

Nicholas Arger, MD – University of California San Francisco

Nabeel Hamzeh, MD - University of Iowa

Kyra Oswald-Richter, PhD - Vanderbilt University

Lobelia Samavati, MD – Wayne State University

Elliott Crouser, MD – The Ohio State University

Edward Chen, MD – Johns Hopkins University

Michael Falta, PhD - University of Colorado Denver

Richard F. Silver, MD – Case Western Reserve University

Jan Wahlström, MD, PhD – Karolinska Institutet

Daniel Culver, DO – Cleveland Clinic

Sarcoidosis Disease Model Grant

Elliott Crouser, MD – The Ohio State University

Landon Locke, PhD – The Ohio State University

Erica Herzog, MD, PhD – Yale School of Medicine

Thomas Weichhart, PhD – Medical University of Vienna

Simon Hart, MBChB, PhD – University of Hull

Gernot Zissel, PhD - University of Freiburg

Marina Freudenberg, MD - University of Freiburg

Peggy Engelhard, PhD - University of Freiburg

FSR Research Grant Awardees

Current Funded Research

2025 Awardees

FSR Fellowship Grant

FSR Pilot Grant

FSR Cardiac Grant

FSR/ATS Partner Grant

2024 Awardees

FSR Fellowship Grant

FSR Pilot Grant

FSR Cardiac Grant

2023 Awardees

FSR Fellowship Grant

FSR Pilot Grant

FSR Cardiac Grant

2022 Awardees

FSR Fellowship Grant

FSR Pilot Grant

FSR Cardiac Grant

FSR/ATS Partner Grant

Other Past Awardees

FSR Fellowship Grant

FSR Pilot Grant

FSR Partner Grants

Sarcoidosis Disease Model Grant

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