Project Grant K99NS142566

Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco a $136,620 Project Grant under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) program, effective February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2028. This award funds research investigating the impact of pathological tau protein on neural circuit function in mouse models of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative motor disorder. The research employs custom-built behavioral phenotyping systems to characterize gait and eye movement abnormalities associated with tau pathology in motor control regions, including the substantia nigra and midbrain nuclei, with the objective of understanding the mechanistic link between tau aggregation and the clinical motor symptoms characteristic of PSP.

The research deliverables include empirical findings on circuit-level dysfunction resulting from pathological tau expression and characterization of two newly developed transgenic mouse models that recapitulate key PSP clinical features. These research products are intended to advance fundamental understanding of PSP pathophysiology and provide preclinical models for future therapeutic development targeting tau-related neurodegeneration. The work will be conducted at UCSF's San Francisco, California facility and contributes to NINDS's mission to reduce the burden of neurological disease through investigator-initiated basic and translational research.