University of Texas STARS Award 

The overarching mission of the Honda Lab is to understand the biology of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) pulmonary disease. NTM pulmonary disease is an emerging public health threat of increasing importance globally. NTM is found in soil and water and not everyone who is exposed develops infection; thus, it is likely a variety of factors drive disease emergence. For unknown reasons, Hawai’i shows the highest numbers of NTM pulmonary disease cases in the United States. Our team is actively studying the 1) environmental- 2) host– 3) microbial factors that contribute to NTM pulmonary disease emergence in Hawai’i and other Pacific Islands to better understand disease emergence in the United States and globally. Additionally, environmental, and clinical NTM isolates from Hawai'i are used to explore the intra- and inter- NTM species differences that contribute to pathogenicity and host evasion.

The Honda lab is supported by grants from the American Thoracic Society, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Shoot for the Cure, Natalie V. Zucker Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, NIH NHLBI PRIDE AGOLD Program, University of Colorado, GI and Liver Innate Immune Program (GALIIP), and the Padosi Foundation.