Project Grant R01NS137604

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has been awarded a $596,146 Project Grant (R01NS137604) from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) grant program. The funding will support a collaborative, multidisciplinary research study to investigate the developmental mechanisms underlying temperature-sensitive seizures, with the goal of developing novel therapeutic strategies to prevent recurrent febrile seizures and reduce the risk of temporal lobe epilepsy. The proposed research will employ computational models, in vivo imaging, and targeted gene transfer/pharmacotherapy to define the temperature sensitivity of specific neuronal subtypes and test interventions to rebalance interneuron excitability during vulnerable developmental stages. Completion of this research could drive the development of new treatments and preventative measures to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with febrile seizures.