UNC Secures $7.3M for Rare Lung Disease Research

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Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been awarded approximately $7.3 million from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to support the Rare Bronchiectatic Diseases Consortium, which will study four groups of rare lung diseases that lead to progressive airway inflammation, infection, and bronchiectasis.

Why it matters

This funding will help increase awareness of these underrecognized lung conditions, collect high-quality clinical data to support future clinical trials, identify new treatment targets, and improve understanding of the pathophysiology and outcomes for patients with bronchiectasis, offering new hope to those living with these complex and often overlooked diseases.

The details

The award is led by Dr. Kenneth Olivier, Research Director of the UNC Bronchiectasis/NTM Care and Research Center, and Dr. Richard Boucher, Director of the Marsico Lung Institute. The consortium includes a multidisciplinary team of investigators from UNC as well as external collaborators from the NIH, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and McGill University Health Centre. Together, they will study four groups of rare lung diseases: primary ciliary dyskinesia, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, humoral immunodeficiencies, and autosomal dominant hyper-IgE syndrome.

• The award was announced on February 5, 2026.