Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Baylor College of Medicine received a $701,256 Project Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242), awarded June 5, 2026, with a completion date of March 31, 2031. The grant funds research on "Mechanisms of Protein Phosphorylation at the Axon Initial Segment" (AIS), which governs action potential generation and neuronal polarity. The research will identify protein phosphatase subunits enriched at the AIS and uncover the molecular mechanisms that recruit them to this neuronal structure.

The project will deliver three primary research outcomes: (1) identification of unique AIS-enriched phospho-regulators (kinases and phosphatases) and their recruitment mechanisms; (2) characterization of molecular, electrophysiological, and behavioral phenotypes associated with these regulatory proteins through experimental perturbation studies; and (3) investigation of kinase contributions to AIS cytoskeletal dynamics and neuronal activity adaptation during neuronal plasticity. The research directly addresses gaps in understanding protein phosphorylation regulation at the AIS in healthy neurons and in brain conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, with findings expected to advance understanding of AIS neurobiology and provide insights into the pathophysiology of AIS-related brain disorders.