Tatara Receives UT System Grant to Advance Infection Prevention After Trauma

JUNE 26, 2026 - Alex Tatara, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Trauma Research and Combat Casualty Care Collaborative, an initiative of the University of Texas System, to support research aimed at preventing infections following severe injury.

Infection remains a common and serious complication after trauma, affecting up to one-third of patients during recovery. These infections can prolong hospitalization and, in severe cases, result in amputation or death. Dr. Tatara’s project seeks to address this challenge by examining how trauma disrupts the immune system and by developing strategies to prevent infections before they take hold.

The research team will use advanced immunologic techniques to better understand the mechanisms by which trauma compromises immune defenses, creating an environment that allows bacteria to proliferate. In parallel, the team is evaluating a newly developed biomaterial-based immunotherapy designed to enhance specific immune cell populations and strengthen the body’s ability to fight infection.

“Infection is one of the most devastating complications following trauma,” Dr. Tatara said. “This funding allows us to both better understand why trauma patients are so vulnerable to infection and to develop new therapies to boost specific immune populations and prevent trauma-related infection from occurring.”

By integrating approaches from immunology and bioengineering, the project aims to move beyond reactive treatment toward proactive prevention. The goal is to develop therapies that can be deployed early in the course of care, reducing the likelihood that infections will develop and improving overall outcomes for patients recovering from severe injury.

Dr. Tatara emphasized the broader implications of the work for patient care 

“Up to a third of trauma patients suffer from infection at some point during their recuperation,” he said. “By combining our knowledge of immunology and bioengineering, we hope to build new therapies to prevent trauma-related infections and deliver better care to our patients.”