Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Texas A&M University received a $124,215 Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279), with an award date of August 11, 2026, and completion target of February 28, 2029. This research project will investigate how circadian rhythms are integrated into neural circuitry governing reward-seeking behavior, specifically examining the bidirectional relationship between the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAC)—two critical regions in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. The research will employ selective ablation of circadian clock genes in these brain regions combined with long-term fiber photometry and behavioral assays to elucidate the fundamental neural mechanisms by which daily biological rhythms modulate reward-seeking behavior.

The project delivers fundamental neuroscience research addressing a critical gap in understanding how circadian timekeeping systems regulate reward neural circuitry. This work has significant implications for human health, as maladaptive reward behaviors underlie various neuropsychiatric disorders including addiction, bipolar disorder, and depression. The research is expected to advance therapeutic and diagnostic development for brain reward system disorders by establishing whether circadian rhythms in reward behavior arise from coordinated feedback loops between the VTA and NAC. Findings from this investigation will contribute to NIDA's broader research portfolio supporting basic, translational, and clinical research to develop new prevention, diagnosis, and treatment approaches for substance use disorders and related health outcomes.