This $747,247 grant award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), supports a randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial investigating the potential synergistic effects of combining transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tAVNS) and gastrointestinal-targeted cognitive-behavioral therapy (GI-CBT) for treating functional dyspepsia. The study, led by The Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts, aims to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which these bottom-up and top-down approaches can modulate gut-brain physiology and alleviate symptoms in this common disorder of gut-brain interaction. The award includes a sub-grant to Massachusetts General Hospital to provide expertise in evaluating gastrointestinal function using magnetic resonance imaging. The results of this project are expected to inform the development of an integrated multimodal intervention for difficult-to-treat chronic gastrointestinal disorders.