Tuberculosis Research Advancement Centers (TRACs)

In 2022, NIAID established six new Tuberculosis Research Advancement Centers (TRACs) to foster multidisciplinary tuberculosis (TB) research and deliver exceptional mentorship to new investigators.

The newly established TRACs will provide scientific leadership and institutional infrastructure dedicated to TB research and will foster and enhance multidisciplinary collaboration. The Centers are dedicated to developing the next generation of scientific leaders in TB research through mentoring and training opportunities and by providing funding support for either new investigators pursuing TB research or researchers who want to enter the TB field at institutions within the TRAC network. The TRACs will provide shared research support for resources, services and training dedicated to TB, and will strengthen TB clinical research through international and/or domestic collaborations.

Main Area of Focus

The main goal of the TRACs is to provide administrative and shared research support to foster and elevate multidisciplinary TB research and provide exceptional mentorship to new investigators. TRACs will provide core facilities, services and mentoring opportunities to achieve the goals of the program.

Contact Information

Dr. Lakshmi Ramachandra
Section Chief
Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases Section
Respiratory Diseases Branch

Dr. Susana Mendez
Program Officer
Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases Section 
Respiratory Diseases Branch

Content Coordinator
Mason Booth
Cynthia Rojas
Content Manager
Mason Booth

Diversifying the Next Generation of TB Vaccines

Research to Develop Next Generation of TB Vaccines

Tuberculosis Information for Researchers

NIAID supports a comprehensive portfolio of research covering basic, translational, and clinical studies to better understand the national history of tuberculosis (TB) and the development of drug resistance. NIAID also provides resources and animal models to investigators worldwide to facilitate biomedical research and help move drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics closer to patients.

Through the information offered here, researchers can learn about the science being conducted at NIAID and by NIAID-funded researchers. Researchers seeking funding can access opportunities to further their own research, while NIAID and NIH grantees can find out about available resources outside of specific funding opportunities. Recent publications, active networks, and ways to connect with other researchers are also available.

NIAID Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Research, 2024 Update

Tuberculosis is the second leading infectious cause of death worldwide. In the updated strategic plan, NIAID details four strategic priorities that are critical to the development and evaluation of the knowledge and tools needed to end TB globally. 

Resources for Researchers

NIAID offers resources such as technologies available for licensing or collaboration, computer applications, and other tools and services to the general scientific community to advance basic, preclinical, and clinical research. See all resources for TB researchers. 

For researchers developing products such as diagnostics, vaccines, or drug therapies, NIAID provides repositories, genomics and bioinformatics services and tools, preclinical studies, and clinical evaluation that support each stage of the product development pathway. Read more about NIAID's support for infectious disease product developers.

Funding Opportunities

NIAID is always accepting researcher-initiated applications. Look up NIAID program officers in the NIH Enterprise Directory who work in your specialty area to discuss potential or related funding for tuberculosis research.

Program Officers

  • Dr. Jim Boyce – Drug Discovery
  • Dr. Katrin Eichelberg – Immunology and Vaccines
  • Dr. Daniel Frank – HIV-TB Clinical Research
  • Dr. Alison Kraigsley – Pathogen Biology
  • Dr. Karen Lacourciere – Diagnostics, Genetics, and Epidemiology
  • Dr. Barbara Laughon – Advanced Drug Development
  • Dr. Susana Mendez – Mycobacterial Biology and Pathogenesis
  • Andre McBride – Preclinical Services
  • Dr. Lakshmi Ramachandra – Tuberculosis Research Advancement Centers (TRACs)
  • Dr. Sudha Srinivasan – HIV-TB Clinical Research

Programs & Networks

Read more about NIAID-supported collaborations and partnerships that further tuberculosis research

Connect With Other Researchers

Search for scientists at NIAID who research TB in the scientist directory.

Search for scientists funded by NIAID who research TB on RePORTER. 

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Researcher Aims to Develop More Effective TB Vaccine

$5 Million NIH Center Grant Will Support Next Generation TB Research

More Effective TB Vaccine Goal of Lovell’s Research

Contract Solicitation Focuses on Enhancing MTB Lab Testing in NIAID Clinical Trials

Funding News Editions:
See more articles in this edition

Tuberculosis (TB)—caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)—continues to be a public health burden and global threat. The number of cases is staggering: In 2019 alone, there were over 10 million new cases of TB infection worldwide, 1.2 million of which were in people with HIV.

Early, accurate, and rapid diagnosis of MTB infection to facilitate screening and triage, improving case detection, and initiating effective treatment regimens are all crucial to ending the TB epidemic.

To support these efforts, a new request for proposals (RFP) seeks contractors who can provide an MTB Quality Assessment (TBQA) Program, which is a resource to:

  • Support the ability of labs to reliably perform study-specified MTB tests
  • Evaluate MTB technologies and specimen processes for use in clinical investigations
  • Disseminate technical and scientific data
  • Perform late-stage assay validation and/or MTB assay testing of clinical samples in a CLIA-certified laboratory (Option)
  • Support public health emergency needs (Option)

The TBQA will serve NIAID-sponsored and collaborating clinical trial networks and cohorts as well as individual grantees conducting research in and outside the United States, e.g., Adult Advancing Clinical Therapeutics Globally for HIV/AIDS and Other Infections (ACTG), the International Maternal Pediatric and Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group (IMPAACT), and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN). NIAID-sponsored TB cohorts include the India and Brazil Regional Prospective Observational Research for Tuberculosis (RePORT).

Details and Due Date

For complete RFP details, see Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) Quality Assessment (TBQA) Program.

NIAID anticipates awarding one cost reimbursement, term/level of effort, type contract for a 1-year period of performance (base period) plus six 1-year options to extend the term of the contract for a total possible period of performance of 7 years, beginning October 16, 2023.

Proposals are due November 30, 2022, by 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Submit online through NIH’s electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) site.

Questions?

To learn more about NIAID’s research interests in this area, go to Tuberculosis—Information for Researchers.

For inquiries about the contents of the solicitation, contact Isaac Elliott at Isaac.elliott@nih.gov.

Contact Us

Email us at deaweb@niaid.nih.gov for help navigating NIAID’s grant and contract policies and procedures.

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Subash Babu, M.B.B.S., Ph.D.

  • Host response to helminth infection and pathogenesis of helminthic disease 
  • Modulation of immune responses in co-infections and comorbidities such as tuberculosis (TB), viral infections, undernutrition, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus by helminth infections
  • Immune responses, pathogenesis and biomarker discovery in pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB, and the effect of co-infections and comorbidities (diabetes mellitus. malnutrition, HIV, dengue, and SARS-CoV-2) on TB immunity and pathogenesis
  • Immune responses in and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, adult and pediatric COVID-19 disease, and multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
  • Immune responses to vaccination in different populations including Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination in the elderly and COVID-19 vaccination in all age groups  
Section or Unit Name
Helminth Immunology Section
Lab/Program Name
Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases
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Subash Babu, M.B.B.S., Ph.D.
Parent Lab/Program
Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases
Program Description

Dr. Babu’s research focus is on two major thematic areas: 1) immunology of infections and 2) intersection of infectious diseases with metabolic disorders. Our group works on the immunology, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of helminth infections (particularly filariasis, strongyloidiasis, and hookworms), TB, and coexistent infectious diseases (helminths/ viruses and TB). Our group also works on the immunological and clinical outcomes of the interaction between diabetes mellitus (and other metabolic disorders) and TB, helminths (and other infectious diseases). 

Our studies have examined and described 1) the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of human W. bancrofti and other helminth infections; 2) the influences of helminth infections on the outcomes of metabolic disorders; 3) the correlates of protective immunity to TB, as well as its diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers; 4) the interface between diabetes mellitus/malnutrition and M. tuberculosis; 5) the immune responses in adult and pediatric COVID-19 and the pathogenesis of MIS-C; and 6) vaccine-engendered immune responses, including BCG and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

ICER India

Dr. Babu is the Scientific Director of the NIAID International Center for Excellence in Research (ICER) in India, a collaborative research partnership between NIAID and the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, specifically the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 

Clinical Studies

ICER202201 Regional Prospective Observational Research in Tuberculosis (RePORT)- Phase 2. (India, USA) Principal Investigator

ICER202101 Adult BCG revaccination induced Antibody and cTfh responses in Latent Tuberculosis individuals with or without diabetes mellitus. (India, Switzerland) Principal Investigator 

ICER202001 A cross-sectional study to estimate the influence of malnutrition, diabetes mellitus and helminth infections on biosignatures in latent tuberculosis in a South Indian population. (India, USA) NCT04526613 Principal Investigator

ICER202002 A pilot study of the effects of helminth infection and SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity on immune response and the intestinal microbiota in India. (India, USA) NCT04813328 Principal Investigator

ICER202003-02  Impact of COVID-19 on clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment outcome and immune response for pulmonary tuberculosis - “Associative BRICS Research in COVID-19 and Tuberculosis”. (India, Brazil, South Africa) NCT04930978 Advisor

ICER201701 Effect of Pre-diabetes on Tuberculosis severity. (India, USA) Principal Investigator

ICER201301 Host response to Infection and Treatment in Lymphatic Filarial Disease and Strongyloidiasis in India. (India, USA) NCT00342576 Principal Investigator

ICER201201 Effect of Helminth Infection on Antigen-Specific Immune Responses in Latent Tuberculosis in South India. (India, USA) NCT01547884 Principal Investigator

ICER200901 Characterization of immune responses in pulmonary TB patients who are with or without Diabetes mellitus. (India, USA) NCT01154959 Principal Investigator

ICER200701 Effect of albendazole dose and interval on Wuchereria bancrofti microfilarial clearance in India: a randomized, open label study. (India, USA) NCT00375583 Principal Investigator

ICER201501 Impact of Immune Changes in Pregnancy on Tuberculosis in HIV infected and uninfected women. (India, USA) Associate Investigator 

ICER201401 Effects of Diabetes on Tuberculosis severity. (India, USA) Associate Investigator

ICER200601 The Effect of Parasitic Worm Infections on the Immune Response to Tuberculosis Bacteria (India, USA) NCT00342017 Associate Investigator

ICER200602 Changes in HIV Viral Load in Patients Undergoing Treatment for Filariasis (India, USA) NCT00344279 Associate Investigator 

ICER India (Projects within India)
ICER202102 Characterization and Durability of COVID-19 vaccine induced immune responses in healthcare/frontline workers. NCT05049187 Principal Investigator

ICER202003-01 Impact of COVID-19 on clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment outcome and immune response for pulmonary tuberculosis. NCT04930978 Principal Investigator

ICER202004 Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the BCG vaccine in Reducing Morbidity and Mortality in Elderly individuals in COVID-19 Hotspots in India. NCT04475302 Principal Investigator

ICER202005 Role of neutralizing antibodies and inflammatory biomarkers in children with Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome - Temporally Associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS). CTRI/2021/01/030605 Principal Investigator

ICER202006 An observational study of clinical and immunological features of children with SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) infection over a period of 12 to 16 weeks. Principal Investigator

ICER202007 Humoral and cellular immune response among recovered COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional study, Tiruvallur district and Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, 2020. Principal Investigator

ICER 202008 A cross sectional study of the systems immunology and viral diversity of SARS-CoV2 infection, COVID-19 disease and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children. NCT04844242 Principal Investigator

ICER201901 Systems biology and immunology of the effect of tuberculosis chemoprophylaxis in HIV infection. Principal Investigator

ICER201001  Characterization of immune responses in treatment-induced latency in pulmonary tuberculosis. NCT01154959 Principal Investigator

ICER201002 Characterization of immune responses in active tuberculosis infection. Principal Investigator

ICER201003 Characterization of Immune Responses in Tuberculosis Lymphadenitis. Principal Investigator 

ICER202103 Prevalence of cardiopulmonary vascular defects among post-COVID-19 patients using Q-SPECT/CT hybrid imaging and correlation with biomarkers for prognostication – a longitudinal study (POCOS). Associate Investigator

ICER202104 A longitudinal observational study on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on Immune responses to Tuberculosis in children and adolescents (TB COVID KIDS). Associate Investigator 

ICER202009 Role of Vitamin C supplement as an adjunct to tuberculosis treatment in new smear sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis – An exploratory trial.  Associate Investigator

ICER201702 A Phase IIB Open Label Randomized trial to evaluate the anti-bacterial activity, pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of Metformin when given with RIPE in adults with newly diagnosed sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis: an 8-week study.  Associate Investigator

ICER201703 Phase IIb open label, parallel, randomized controlled trial to assess safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics & anti-bacterial activity of high dose rifampin vs Conventional dose rifampin in standard anti-TB therapy in drug sensitive Pulmonary TB in adults. Associate Investigator 

ICER201502 Characterization of Immune Responses in Drug Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Associate Investigator

Selected Publications

Nathella PK, Moideen K, Viswanathan V, Sivakumar S, Ahamed SF, Ponnuraja C, Hissar S, Kornfeld H, Babu S. Heightened microbial translocation is a prognostic biomarker of recurrent tuberculosis. Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Mar 30:ciac236. 

Pavan Kumar N, Padmapriyadarsini C, Rajamanickam A, Marinaik SB, Nancy A, Padmanaban S, Akbar N, Murhekar M, Babu S. Effect of BCG vaccination on proinflammatory responses in elderly individuals. Sci Adv. 2021 Aug 4;7(32):eabg7181. 

Venkataraman A, Kumar NP, Hanna LE, Putlibai S, Karthick M, Rajamanikam A, Sadasivam K, Sundaram B, Babu S. Plasma biomarker profiling of PIMS-TS, COVID-19 and SARS-CoV2 seropositive children - a cross-sectional observational study from southern India. EBioMedicine. 2021 Apr;66:103317. 

Kumar NP, Kathamuthu GR, Moideen K, Banurekha VV, Nair D, Fay MP, Nutman TB, Babu S. Strongyloides stercoralis Coinfection Is Associated With Greater Disease Severity, Higher Bacterial Burden, and Elevated Plasma Matrix Metalloproteinases in Pulmonary Tuberculosis. J Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 17;222(6):1021-1026. 

Rajamanickam A, Munisankar S, Bhootra Y, Dolla C, Thiruvengadam K, Nutman TB, Babu S. Metabolic Consequences of Concomitant Strongyloides stercoralis Infection in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Aug 1;69(4):697-704.

Anuradha R, George PJ, Pavan Kumar N, Fay MP, Kumaraswami V, Nutman TB, Babu S. Circulating microbial products and acute phase proteins as markers of pathogenesis in lymphatic filarial disease. PLoS Pathog. 2012;8(6):e1002749. 

Visit PubMed for a complete publications listing.

Additional Information

Research Networks

NIAID-International Centers for Excellence in Research (ICER)

Major Areas of Research
  • Host response to helminth infection and pathogenesis of helminthic disease 
  • Modulation of immune responses in co-infections and comorbidities such as tuberculosis (TB), viral infections, undernutrition, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus by helminth infections
  • Immune responses, pathogenesis and biomarker discovery in pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB, and the effect of co-infections and comorbidities (diabetes mellitus. malnutrition, HIV, dengue, and SARS-CoV-2) on TB immunity and pathogenesis
  • Immune responses in and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, adult and pediatric COVID-19 disease, and multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
  • Immune responses to vaccination in different populations including Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination in the elderly and COVID-19 vaccination in all age groups

Subash Babu, M.B.B.S., Ph.D.

Education:

M.B.B.S., 1993, Govt. Kilpauk Medical College/ University of Madras, India

Ph.D., 1999, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Headshot photograph of Dr. Subash Babu
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