Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded Columbia University's Health Sciences Division a $126,900 Project Grant under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) program on January 16, 2026, with completion targeted for December 31, 2027. This award supports fundamental neuroscience research investigating the synaptic mechanisms underlying dopamine-driven reinforcement learning in the cerebral cortex. The research employs advanced in vivo imaging technologies, genetically encoded dopamine sensors, optogenetics, and brain-machine interface (BMI) paradigms to characterize how dopamine-dependent synaptic plasticity shapes neural circuits during learning and adaptive behavior.

The funded research is structured across a mentored phase and an independent phase with three specific aims: (1) utilizing optical BMI combined with two-photon calcium imaging to characterize how dopamine-driven reinforcement learning reorganizes synaptic inputs onto cortical ensembles; (2) tracking functional synaptic activity during reinforcement learning to determine how dopamine alters synaptic strength and dynamics over time; and (3) mapping spatiotemporal dopamine release patterns and applying chemogenetic and pharmacological manipulations to assess the mechanisms of dopamine-driven synaptic plasticity in vivo. These investigations address a fundamental knowledge gap regarding precise synaptic mechanisms of dopamine-dependent plasticity and advance understanding of how the brain reinforces neural activity to drive learning.