University of Houston secures major NSF and NIH research grants

The University of Houston has secured significant federal funding for two distinct research initiatives.

A nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will support a multi-institutional study led by evolutionary biologists Ricardo Azevedo and Rebecca Zufall. The project aims to investigate how different reproductive modes—sexual, asexual, or self-pollinating—influence the evolution of mutation rates across species. This research, which includes collaborators from the University of Iowa and the University of Toronto, seeks to identify broad patterns in how populations evolve, potentially offering insights into antibiotic resistance and cancer progression.

Separately, the University of Houston received an $18.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to launch a program addressing the root causes of chronic disease. Housed within the UH Population Health department, the five-year initiative will examine the biological, social, and behavioral factors contributing to illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. The program aims to expand research infrastructure and community partnerships to improve health outcomes through preventative and environmental interventions.