Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Washington received a $122,769 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853), effective March 17, 2026, with completion targeted for February 29, 2028. The award funds investigator-initiated research conducted at the University of Washington's Seattle campus to advance understanding of neural control mechanisms governing respiratory function. The research program integrates genetics, connectomics, behavioral tracking, and in vivo imaging methodologies to examine the neuromuscular basis of respiratory control during locomotion, investigate interoceptive mechanisms of respiratory gas sensing, and elucidate neural integration of respiratory and metabolic signals using Drosophila as a model system.

The funded research leverages the investigator's prior discoveries identifying motor neurons controlling respiration in flies and novel gas-sensing neurons in muscles and respiratory tracts that detect respiratory state. Expected deliverables include empirical findings on how animals coordinate respiratory control with motor behavior under varying metabolic demands, fundamental principles of respiratory regulation applicable across species, and an experimental and conceptual framework for studying neural control of respiration. These research outputs contribute to NINDS's mission to reduce the burden of neurological disease through basic research exploring fundamental brain and nervous system structure and function.