The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded a 5-year, $567,704 Project Grant (CFDA 93.853 - Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders) to the Regents of the University of Michigan to conduct research on the circadian and homeostatic regulation of sleep in a diurnal model of Smith-Magenis Syndrome. The project aims to:
Determine the role of the RAI1 gene in daily sleep/wake rhythms and neural network properties in a diurnal rodent model;
Test whether sleep disturbances in the model are due to impaired photic input or altered melatonin rhythm; and
Shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances in Smith-Magenis Syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders, with the goal of informing new interventions to improve sleep in affected patients.
This research will leverage the University of Michigan's expertise in neuroscience and its diurnal rodent model of Smith-Magenis Syndrome developed using CRISPR gene editing.