Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Wake Forest University Health Sciences received a $683,782 Project Grant award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279), effective March 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030. The award supports the development and validation of computationally assisted detection technology for simultaneous measurement of three critical neurotransmitters—dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine—in the brain. This research addresses a significant gap in neurobiological research by enabling real-time, sub-second temporal resolution detection of these co-released neurotransmitters in conscious mammalian subjects, including humans, which has direct applications to understanding substance use disorder, psychiatric illness, and behavioral decision-making processes.

The project deliverables include the development of a computational model-based approach to characterize and subtract background signal interference in fast-scan cyclic voltammetry measurements and expansion of existing measurement methodology to include simultaneous norepinephrine detection alongside dopamine and serotonin. The research will generate technological advances that extend multi-neurotransmitter measurement capabilities to broader preclinical animal research and human clinical neuroscience applications, thereby advancing NIDA's mission to support basic and translational research that improves understanding and treatment of substance use disorders and related health conditions.