UT Tyler Awarded NIH Grant

December 11, 2024 | Elizabeth Wingfield

More Than $974K Awarded for Nicotine Addiction Research

The University of Texas at Tyler received a $974,090 subaward from the National Institutes of Health to support the research of Dr. Ayman K. Hamouda, Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy professor, in developing new compounds to target the brain’s nicotine receptors—a vital first step in eventually treating nicotine addiction.

The subaward is a part of a $3.4 million R01 grant with Northeastern University and University of California, Irvine.

“We are extremely proud to collaborate with these prestigious institutions,” said Julie V. Philley, MD, UT Tyler president. “The results of this project are imperative to addressing a critical health care need.”

R01 grants are the oldest type of NIH grants, awarded to researchers with a proven track record of experience. This is the first R01 grant that the UT Tyler Fisch College of Pharmacy has received with a faculty member serving as a principal investigator.

“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Hamouda and his team’s groundbreaking work in the field of nicotine addiction research,” said Dr. Pamella Ochoa, Fisch College of Pharmacy interim dean. “This NIH grant not only recognizes the expertise and commitment of our faculty, but also affirms the caliber of research coming from the Fisch College of Pharmacy. We are dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and contributing to solutions for public health crises, and this project exemplifies that mission.”

According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease, death and disability, accounting for nearly one in five deaths in the U.S. In a review of 28 studies, only 8% of participants who were trying to quit smoking succeeded, according to the American Cancer Society.

“This NIH grant provides a critical opportunity for us to push the boundaries of nicotine addiction research to gain a new understanding of nicotine’s actions and potentially contribute to the development of an effective treatment for nicotine addiction,” said Hamouda. “Our long-term goal is to develop drugs that will help smokers alleviate nicotine withdrawal symptoms, helping individuals gradually reduce nicotine intake and ultimately supporting their journey toward quitting. I am grateful for the support of the NIH and the collaboration with Northeastern University, UC Irvine and Virginia Commonwealth University, and I look forward to the advancements this research can bring to public health.”

Hamouda received his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at Al-Azhar University in Gaza-Palestine, his PhD in pharmacology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and postdoctoral training at the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. He joined UT Tyler in 2018 and currently serves as the “Ben and Maytee Fisch Chair in Pharmacy” endowed  professor.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.