Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Pittsburgh received a $190,188 Project Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242), awarded June 3, 2026, with a completion date of May 31, 2031. This five-year research initiative investigates the neural substrates of perseverative thought disengagement and reward learning in early adolescent girls, with particular focus on how puberty influences these cognitive-affective processes and their relationship to internalizing disorders (anxiety and depression). The research employs computational modeling of exploration-exploitation paradigms and functional brain imaging to characterize the neural correlates of perseverative thought disengagement—the capacity to disengage from intrusive, repetitive thoughts such as worries and rumination—and uncertainty-directed exploration, which refers to learning strategies for navigating unknown reward environments.

This project addresses a critical public health need by examining the developmental neurobiology underlying internalizing symptoms during early adolescence, a pivotal developmental period characterized by increased reactivity in emotion-processing brain systems (amygdala and striatum) and decreased regulatory capacity in frontoparietal networks. The research products will include mechanistic insights into how disrupted thought disengagement and reward-learning deficits contribute to the emergence and progression of internalizing symptoms in girls during puberty, with implications for developing targeted interventions for this vulnerable population.