Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Massachusetts Medical School received a $612,425 Project Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242), awarded on March 15, 2026, with a completion date of December 31, 2030. This longitudinal research project investigates visual discrimination and anxiety in children, with the primary objective of identifying trait-based neural markers associated with anxiety disorder risk during childhood development. The research addresses the gap in understanding how visual-limbic neural networks—specifically the ventral visual stream, fusiform gyrus, and amygdala—contribute to threat misattribution in high trait anxiety populations. By examining these early-developing visual cortical regions in relation to anxiety symptomatology, the project aims to establish potential targets for early intervention to reduce anxiety illness burden in adolescence and adulthood.

The research deliverables include longitudinal neuroimaging data, characterization of neural correlates underlying visual threat discrimination differences in anxious children, and evidence-based findings to inform the development of childhood anxiety interventions. The grant supports hypothesis-driven investigation into the developmental trajectories of visual and limbic system function in children with varying trait anxiety levels, contributing to the NIMH mission of transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illness through basic and clinical research.