Project Grant R01HD113761

This federal Project Grant award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) provides $534,004 to Rutgers, The State University to conduct research on the role of corticolimbic brain circuits in maternal behavior. The research aims to define the neural circuit, synaptic function, and transcriptional mechanisms underlying the regulation of maternal care, threat, and stress responses in the postpartum state. The 5-year project will utilize genetic, neural circuit dissection, electrophysiology, biochemical, and transcriptional approaches to gain new insights into the connections between cell signaling, synapses, and gene expression within specific neural populations related to maternal behavior. The findings are expected to guide the development of circuit-based, gene-based, and pharmacological strategies for improving maternal well-being and caregiving.