Funded Projects

Browse wide-ranging research at the frontiers of neuroscience supported by Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute grants, awards, and training fellowships.

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Seed Grant
2021
Mapping the Mitophagy Network in Parkinson’s Disease

We will comprehensively define the gene network associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease using a cutting-edge technology, CRISPR, to understand how these nerve cells die in PD and how we can reverse the cell death to treat the disease.

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Seed Grant
2021
Magnetic Recording and Stimulation of Neural Tissue

We propose a new magnetic sensor that is sensitive to picoTesla-scale fields, a localized magnetic stimulator with small form-factor, and a seamless integration of both systems for applications in experimental and clinical neuroscience.

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Seed Grant
2021
Inflammation, Major Histocompatibility Class I and human brain development

Maternal infection is linked to increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. This proposal examines how virus-associated cytokines, specifically interferons, affect human neurons modeled in brain organoids or studied directly in fetal brain samples.

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Neuroscience:Translate Award
2022
Topical Hedgehog modulators to enhance motor nerve regeneration after injury and repair
This team has identified a small-molecule drug pathway that can improve functional recovery from nerve injury. The team will use the Neuroscience:Translate funds to test several approaches to topically apply this compound directly to damaged nerves during surgery to safely improve patient outcomes.
Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Neuroscience:Translate Award
2022
Extended Reality(XR) enhanced behavioral activation for treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

This team has created an extended reality–enhanced implementation of "behavioral activation," one of the most effective forms of evidence-based psychotherapy for major depression. They will use the Neuroscience:Translate award to test the efficacy and scalability of this approach and accelerate the development of extended reality technologies to improve treatment options for major depression.

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Neuroscience:Translate Award
2022
Development of an extracochlear neurostimulation device to restore hearing – Renewal

Sensorineural hearing loss is an increasingly prevalent condition that causes disability to over a third of US adults aged over 65. This team is developing a breakthrough device to restore high-frequency hearing that preserves residual hearing through a reversible and minimally invasive approach.

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Neuroscience:Translate Award
2022
Remote reliable measurements of movement using bluetooth enabled engineered keyboard for diagnosis of neurological diseases - Renewal

This team is developing a device that will enable accurate diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease via telemedicine. They initially introduced the technology of Quantitative DigitoGraphy (QDG) using a repetitive alternating finger tapping (RAFT) task on a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) keyboard and will use Neuroscience: Translate funding for the next stage of device development.