Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded a Project Grant of $589,156 to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, Health Sciences Division, effective February 2, 2026, through January 31, 2031. This award supports research under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) program. The funded research focuses on elucidating the physiological relevance of S-palmitoylation (a reversible lipid modification) of CAV2.1 and CAV2.2 calcium channels in both peripheral and central neurons, and developing engineered depalmitoylases to selectively modulate these channels' function.

The project addresses critical neurological disease mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. CAV2.1 channel dysfunction is associated with severe neurological disorders including ataxia, epilepsy, and neurodevelopmental delay, while CAV2.2 channels mediate nociceptive signaling relevant to chronic pain treatment. The research will investigate how targeted depalmitoylation can potently inhibit CAV2.2 currents for pain management or upregulate CAV2.1 function for neurological disease treatment, offering potential alternatives to current therapies with significant side effects. The deliverables include comprehensive physiological studies and development of engineered depalmitoylases to precisely tune calcium channel function in neurons, representing a novel and largely unexplored therapeutic strategy.