Project Grant K99HD120625

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development awarded California Institute of Technology $128,331 on September 1, 2026, under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) to investigate neural crest regeneration and its role in reducing the severity of congenital birth defects.

The research tests the hypothesis that cranial and cardiac neural crest forming regions can regenerate during a critical developmental period to rescue migratory neural crest cells, but lose this ability as neural crest matures. The investigator will combine classical and molecular approaches in the chick embryo model to explore neural crest regeneration's effect on the type, incidence, and severity of congenital birth defects along the body axis. Specific aims include resolving the extent and timing of cranial neural crest regenerative ability, identifying molecular mechanisms underlying neural crest regeneration, and comparing regeneration effects across cranial, cardiac, and trunk levels. The research holds promise for revealing transcriptional differences that facilitate neural crest regeneration at different axial levels and how loss or gain of regenerative properties may influence congenital birth defect outcomes.

The award period runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. Work is performed in Pasadena, California.