CINCINNATI — University of Cincinnati researchers will use a $3.7 million grant from the Defense Department to study how medical treatment can be improved for soldiers, university officials said.

The researchers will focus on what effects the duties of battlefield troops have on their natural bodily cycles and how medical treatment can be adjusted to produce better results for military patients, university officials said. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is providing the four-year grant.

“Soldiers are constantly moving around and facing interruptions in their circadian rhythms, such as sleep deprivation,” said Christian Hong, one of the University of Cincinnati medical center faculty who will be involved in the research. “Also, when soldiers get hurt, it’s important to understand the best time and target to treat them — the fastest solution at the given moment.”

The project’s goal is to find methods for improving care for patients with abdominal trauma or exposure to bacteria or similar causes of disease, researchers said.