Federal Grant Award Summary

Drexel University received a $445,636 Project Grant award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279), effective May 15, 2026 through February 28, 2031. The award funds research investigating the neural circuit mechanisms underlying inflexible drug seeking in the context of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection. Specifically, the research addresses the co-occurrence of HIV infection and cocaine use disorder (CUD), which frequently occurs among people living with HIV (PLWH) and results in worsened HIV outcomes and increased neurocognitive impairment. The research aims to identify how HIV infection disrupts brain circuits that regulate drug-seeking behavior and relapse susceptibility.

The research employs in vivo electrophysiology, tract tracing, and circuit-specific chemogenetics to test the hypothesis that HIV infection impacts glutamatergic neural projections from the infralimbic prefrontal cortex to the nucleus accumbens shell—brain regions critical to extinction learning and relapse prevention. The deliverables include novel findings on how HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy affect these neural circuits in preclinical models and identification of potential intervention targets to suppress drug-seeking behavior in HIV-infected individuals. This research directly supports NIDA's mission to develop new knowledge and approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of drug use, misuse, and addiction in populations with comorbid conditions.