NC A&T Professor Receives $1.4 Million NIH Grant to Study Plant-Based Foods and Heart Health

10/30/25 News 1 min read

NC A&T Distinguished Professor Shengmin Sang has received a $1.4 million NIH grant to lead a five-year study on how flavonoids in plant-based foods may help prevent cardiovascular disease across diverse populations.

Duke Chapel — NC A&T Professor Receives $1.4 Million NIH Grant to Study Plant-Based Foods and Heart Health

NC A&T Distinguished Professor Shengmin Sang, PhD, has received $1.4 million as part of a five-year, $3.2 million grant from the NIH’s National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to investigate how plant-based diets can help prevent cardiovascular disease. Dr. Sang’s research will focus on flavonoids, major antioxidants found in plant foods like apples, blueberries, soy milk, and green tea, using them as biomarkers to track how they metabolize in different populations, including African American and Hispanic communities. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and this study aims to provide scientific evidence linking specific plant-based foods to cardiovascular disease prevention.