Jaclyn Andricovich, a doctoral student in the Integrated Biomedical Sciences program at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, recently received a predoctoral Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service (F31) Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in support of her project, “Investigating Neuro-Immune Interactions in Pulmonary Homeostasis and Disease.”
The highly competitive National Institutes of Health fellowship supports doctoral students as they train to become independent researchers. With the support of the award, Andricovich hopes to uncover why some lung injuries heal while others progress to permanent scarring by studying how the nervous and immune systems communicate in the lungs.
Persistent inflammation can lead to pulmonary fibrosis, or lung scarring, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. She will explore how sensory neurons influence immune cell activity during lung repair, with the goal of better understanding why healthy healing sometimes gives way to chronic disease.
Andricovich, who is pursuing a PhD in neuroscience in GW’s Integrated Biomedical Sciences program, hopes to build a career in research and academia. She said receiving an F31 boosted her confidence and reinforced her goal of becoming an independent scientist.
Her mentor, Xiaoyan Zheng, PhD, associate professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology at GW SMHS, frequently serves as an NIH grant reviewer and offered valuable guidance throughout the application process. Developing the proposal taught Andricovich the importance of presenting complex science in a way that is both accessible and compelling while making every word count.
Strong preliminary data also helped strengthen the application. Using the Zeiss LSM980 microscope in GW’s Nanofabrication and Imaging Center, she captured detailed three-dimensional images of neuroimmune interactions in lung tissue. Those findings became an important component of her grant proposal and continue to inform her research.
In addition to funding her research, the fellowship will support Andricovich’s professional development through workshops, scientific conferences and networking opportunities. The award also includes an annual childcare supplement, a benefit she said is especially meaningful as the parent of two young children.
