Project Grant R01DC022566

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health, awarded the University of Pittsburgh $677,842 on September 1, 2026, under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) to investigate neural correlates of auditory category learning in non-human primates.

The project examines how the brain learns to recognize and categorize auditory features—such as phonemes, syllables, and words—by studying neural mechanisms in monkeys whose auditory systems share critical functional and structural similarities with humans. The work employs two novel recording platforms that combine single-cell recordings with more stable circuit- and system-level neural signals to increase spatial and temporal scope. Investigators will use an incidental category learning paradigm adapted from human research, allowing auditory category learning to develop incrementally while subjects perform a simple visuomotor task. The research targets structural and functional connectivity between the basal ganglia and auditory cortex, hypothesizing that auditory category learning is facilitated when neural representations of sounds in auditory cortex overlap temporally with neural activation of the correct motor plan in basal ganglia.

The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2031, with work performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This is a Project Grant, the assistance type that constitutes the largest category of NIDCD funding and supports salaries, equipment, supplies, travel, and direct and indirect costs of research.