This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853), provides $644,008 to study the role of non-vesicular lipid transport in phosphoinositide signaling during early dendrite development in mouse cortical pyramidal neurons. The research aims to determine if the lipid transport protein NIR2 is critical for regulating phosphoinositide homeostasis at endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites, and its impact on phosphoinositide signaling pathways involved in dendrite development. The study will use advanced genetic techniques, including gene overexpression, knockdown, and CRISPR-mediated editing, to manipulate signaling in developing neurons and explore the mechanistic basis of phosphoinositide-mediated structural plasticity. The award has a start date of February 21, 2025 and is scheduled for completion by January 31, 2030. The prime recipient for this grant is the Research Foundation for the State University of New York, conducting the research at Stony Brook University.