University of Alabama in Huntsville researcher receives $3.67 million NIH grant

Dr. Victor Ogungbe, an associate professor of chemistry at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), is leading a five-year, $3.67 million research project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study focuses on developing treatments for alphaviruses, a group of mosquito-borne viruses that currently lack approved vaccines or therapeutics for human use.

The research aims to investigate small-molecule compounds designed to block viral replication. Specifically, the project targets the protease domain of nonstructural protein 2 (nsP2), a viral protein essential for the virus to reproduce. By inhibiting this protein, researchers hope to stop the virus from multiplying and evaluate the potential to protect the blood-brain barrier from neurological complications caused by these infections.