Funded Projects

Understanding how the brain drives behavior is a key goal of neuroscience. Traditionally, the field has focused on
simple behaviors, but recent research is shifting towards more naturalistic paradigms, such as navigation and
foraging. This opens up exciting possibilities for studying natural behaviors and uncovering the neural
mechanisms underlying them.

Flexible learning, the ability to adapt in changing environments, declines during normal aging. Moreover, this decline is exacerbated in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), a common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting not only movement but also cognitive abilities.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia and is expected to impact 2.5-fold more
Americans by 2050. Despite this, no effective preventative treatment exists. Although AD research has largely
targeted pathological inclusions, recent clinical trials have failed to significantly improve patient quality of life,

Achieving proficiency in a specific task requires persistent practice and training. One of the most intriguing
questions in neuroscience asks how such continuous engagement enables the brain to remember and retain new
skills or memories effectively. Previous studies revealed that repeated stimulation of the same neural pathways

Neurons are cells that electrically transmit information about our surroundings to the brain, process that
information in the brain, and transmit instructions for action to the rest of the body. Just like electrical cables, they
are long and thin. To function properly, a neuron must move nutrients, waste, and organelles along its length.

Over six million Americans currently live with Alzheimer's disease, a number expected to rise to about 14 million
by 2060 as the population ages. Alzheimer’s is a major cause of dementia and the fifth-leading cause of death in
the U.S., so there is a growing need to address this disease. Microglia, the brain's immune cells, are crucial in

Despite advancements in cancer treatment, the prognosis for brain cancer patients remains poor. Glioblastoma
multiforme, the most aggressive type of brain tumor, is driven by genetic mutations and overexpression of
growth-promoting receptors. While recent innovations in targeted therapies and immunotherapies aim to inhibit

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease of the optic nerve and represents the leading cause of irreversible
blindness worldwide. Elevated intraocular pressure represents the most significant and modifiable risk factor,
however in the retina, the knowledge about how mechanical stimuli are sensed and modify neuron physiology

The brain relies on Progranulin, a pivotal protein, to function smoothly and maintain overall health. When
Progranulin fails to perform its essential functions, it can trigger severe neurological issues. In children, a
complete malfunction of Progranulin can result in Batten disease, a devastating condition characterized by rapid

Temperature is a significant factor that impacts all living organisms’ behavior and physiology. With climate
change driving significant shifts in environmental temperatures, it is crucial to understand the mechanism by
which animals adjust their behaviors to cope with these changes. Animals rely on thermosensation to sense

Controlling brain activity using chemicals and drugs is instrumental in neuroscience research, but current delivery methods for these compounds are imprecise. A proposed synthetic neural interface will allow for more controlled chemical and drug release by using ultrasound to precisely penetrate neural tissue.

This team aims to use the power of artificial intelligence to make new findings about brain aging, with the goal of boosting brain repair and resilience. They are particularly interested in spatial changes in the brain during aging. Their goal is to understand how aging renders the brain susceptible to injuries that accentuate neurodegenerative diseases.

This team has developed a new therapy for patients with spinal cord injury, involving injection into the spinal cord of patient-derived stem cells within an engineered protective gel. They will use their Neuroscience:Translate award to further test and develop this novel therapy in preparation for first-in-human clinical trials. 

This team will use their Koret pilot grant award to study if language difficulties in children with epilepsy are caused by excessive connectivity in the brain. The team previously found that elevated connectivity is associated with poorer language, and that inhibitory transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can reduce connectivity.

Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs) carry a poor prognosis with limited therapeutic options. This is in part due to the highly invasive behavior of malignant glioma cells, which infiltrate into normal brain parenchyma where they are inaccessible to surgical intervention and are poised to drive tumor recurrences.

This project is focused on developing EEG-based measures of cognitive control and conflict processing in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is characterized by recurrent, intrusive, and distressing thoughts, and patients are often limited by rigid, inflexible behavioral routines as well as poor clinical insight into their illness.

The immune system is subjected to neuroendocrine regulation and control by the brain. One such example is the induction of glucocorticoid (GC) in infectious diseases. GC is synthesized and released by the adrenal glands via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal gland (HPA) axis which is initiated from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN).

This team recently identified a selective biomarker of inflammation-promoting immune cells in the central nervous system. They will use their Neuroscience:Translate award to develop non-invasive molecular imaging strategies to distinguish between harmful (pro-inflammatory) and helpful (anti-inflammatory) immune cells in patients with Multiple sclerosis (MS).

Recent data suggest that increased circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to clear the brain and spinal cord of waste is associated with improved outcomes in aging and recovery from brain injury, suggesting that inducing CSF clearing could enhance brain resilience. However, a therapeutic modality for directly inducing CSF clearing has not been available.

Memories are stored at synapses and circuits, which tragically are pruned and deconstructed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Genetic mutations including APP generate high levels of soluble oligomeric beta amyloid (oAbeta42), leading to insoluble beta amyloid plaques—hallmarks of late-stage disease. Clinical trials have designed "plaque-busting" drugs assuming that plaques cause disease.

This team has identified a promising protein-based therapeutic to improve stroke recovery.  The team will use the Neuroscience:Translate award to identify key components of this protein to maximize its therapeutic potential for stroke treatments.

Intraparenchymal transplantation of human neural stem cells (hNSCs) shows therapeutic potential for patients with chronic ischemic stroke. However, the underlying mechanisms of how hNSCs drive recovery remain elusive.

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) influences the development, maturation, and aging of the nervous system in ways that are not fully understood. TurboID, a synthetically engineered enzyme, can label CSF proteins to track their sources and development, providing insight into the roles the CSF plays in development, health, and disease.

This project aims to identify brain-based EEG markers of self-efficacy and self-regulation, which are the two critical treatment targets for people with chronic pain and comorbid heavy alcohol use. Such objective markers will assist in accurate diagnosis and assessment of treatment responses, which may enable a precision medicine approach for chronic pain and substance use disorders.