• Press Release

Mount Sinai Researchers Receive $15.5 Million Grant to Map Molecular Changes That Occur During Physical Activity

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to serve as chemical analysis site for The Molecular Physical Activity Consortium

  • (December 15, 2016)

Two researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have been awarded $15.5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund to help develop a comprehensive map of the molecular changes that occur in response to physical activity. The research could improve our understanding of how physical activity leads to better health.

The grant to Stuart C. Sealfon, MD, Sara B. and Seth M. Glickenhaus Professor of Neurology, Director of the Center for Advanced Research on Diagnostic Assays, and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Neurology, and Martin J. Walsh, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacological Sciences, Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Pediatrics, announced today, is part of the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC), the largest targeted NIH investment of funds into the mechanisms of how physical activity improves health and prevents disease. Through this program, 19 grants will support researchers at 25 universities and research centers across the country to collect samples from people of different races, ethnic groups, sexes, ages, and fitness levels. The samples will be analyzed to uncover how physical activity changes the chemical molecules in our bodies, which could lead to people engaging in more targeted and optimized types of activity. The awards total $170 million through fiscal year 2022.

“While we know that physical activity is good for us in many ways, we know very little about the mechanisms through which physical activity affects health and disease,” says Dr. Sealfon. “We’re proud to be part of a much-needed coordinated effort to assemble a comprehensive map of the molecular transducers – the proteins, peptides, circulating nucleic acids, lipids, hormones, and other molecules – that are likely responsible for the health effects of physical activity.”

Under the leadership of Drs. Sealfon and Walsh, a research team from Mount Sinai will work as part of the MoTrPAC to perform preliminary characterization of the range of molecular transducers (the ‘molecular map’) that underlie the effects of physical activity in humans. Specifically, Mount Sinai researchers will analyze genetics, gene modification, and gene expression in samples obtained from other consortium members from humans and animal models that are exposed to physical activity.

The information conducted from all research sites will be stored in a publicly accessible database that scientists can use to study almost every organ and tissue in the body. Ultimately, the research findings may help lead to new drug targets for many diseases that are affected by physical activity and will help define optimal physical activity recommendations for individuals with particular health needs and at various stages of life.

“To fully understand and subsequently transform clinical medicine’s use of physical activity for health management, a large-scale effort like this is imperative,” says Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Receiving this award is a testament to the investment we have made in genomics research, which has positioned us to be able to contribute to this important effort. We appreciate the NIH recognition of our efforts and are excited to be part of this groundbreaking endeavor.”

About the Mount Sinai Health System

Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.

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