Federal Project Grant Award Summary

New York University School of Medicine received a $139,617 Project Grant award from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173), effective May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2028. This award supports fundamental neuroscience research investigating the neural circuits and computational mechanisms underlying olfactory perception, which falls within NIDCD's mission to support research on disorders of human communication, including smell and taste perception.

The funded research project will employ advanced neuroimaging and electrophysiology techniques to elucidate how odor information is processed through the olfactory system. Specifically, the research will utilize two-photon calcium imaging, optogenetics, and large-scale silicon probe recordings in awake mice to characterize spatiotemporal activity patterns across the olfactory bulb, understand how local inhibitory circuits transform these patterns, and determine how the piriform cortex integrates and learns from olfactory inputs. Deliverables will include mechanistic insights into glomerular-to-mitral cell connectivity, recurrent circuit interactions, and experience-dependent plasticity in olfactory cortex, contributing foundational knowledge relevant to understanding sensory processing disorders and informing future therapeutic approaches.