Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded The University of Iowa a Project Grant totaling $732,635 under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242), effective September 19, 2025, with completion scheduled for July 31, 2030. This award funds research investigating mediodorsal thalamus representations underlying human cognitive flexibility. The research employs a computational cognitive neuroscience approach integrating computational models with high-resolution 7-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and advanced neuroimaging analyses to examine how the mediodorsal thalamus encodes, updates, and generalizes context representations—neural mechanisms critical for adaptive cognition and cognitive flexibility.

The research addresses a significant knowledge gap regarding context-guided cognitive control with direct applications to understanding cognitive deficits in psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Building upon preliminary findings from the research team demonstrating that mediodorsal thalamus damage impairs task switching and working memory in humans, the project aims to develop quantitative models and advanced neuroimaging approaches to delineate the specific representations and computational mechanisms performed by the human mediodorsal thalamus. The deliverables include scientific research findings, computational models, and neuroimaging data that will advance understanding of fundamental neural mechanisms underlying cognitive flexibility and inform future therapeutic approaches for psychiatric conditions.