Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) awarded The Johns Hopkins University a $650,639 Project Grant effective February 1, 2026 through January 31, 2031, under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173). This award supports basic neuroscience research investigating crossmodal plasticity—the adaptive reorganization of brain circuits following sensory loss. Specifically, the research examines how visual deprivation triggers compensatory changes in auditory processing pathways, with the goal of understanding the mechanisms underlying enhanced hearing abilities observed in blind individuals.

The funded research will generate novel insights into corticothalamic circuit plasticity in adult mice, examining three distinct neural pathways and how early- and late-onset vision loss alters their function and regulation of auditory feedforward processing. The research will contribute foundational knowledge regarding sensory system adaptation and may inform future therapeutic approaches for individuals experiencing sensory loss. The work will be conducted at The Johns Hopkins University's Baltimore, Maryland facility, leveraging the institution's established capabilities as a premier research organization with extensive experience delivering advanced biomedical research supported by federal agencies.