The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded a $745,822 Project Grant under the Mental Health Research Grants (CFDA 93.242) program to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, doing business as the Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania. The grant, effective January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2029, will fund research to assess the potential role of the protein kinase PERK in the development of neurocognitive impairment and mental health disruption in people with HIV. The research aims to identify predictive markers and therapeutic opportunities for pharmacological interventions targeting PERK and other mediators of stress tolerance in this population. The work will utilize biochemical, cellular, and pharmacological approaches to evaluate cell-type specific mechanisms modulating PERK activity and its impact on stress response and tolerance in neurons, astrocytes, and macrophages.