Federal Grant Award Summary

Baylor College of Medicine received a $508,533 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853), effective February 11, 2026, with completion targeted for November 30, 2030. The research project, "State-Dependent Modulation of Cerebellar Function," delivers advanced neuroscience research services focused on understanding how brain state variations affect cerebellar information processing and neural function. The research leverages Neuropixels probes and deep learning algorithms to record and analyze mossy fiber activity—the primary input pathway to the cerebellum—during behavioral conditioning tasks in mice to identify which neural states correlate with reliable versus impaired cerebellar function.

This research directly addresses gaps in understanding cerebellar contributions to both motor control and cognitive functions, with implications for multiple neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions including ataxia, dystonia, schizophrenia, autism, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The project deliverables include novel empirical data on moment-to-moment mossy fiber state variability, identification of neural signatures associated with optimal cerebellar performance, and biological insights into how brain state modulates sensory and cognitive signal processing in the cerebellum. These scientific findings advance the NINDS mission to reduce the burden of neurological disease through fundamental understanding of brain and nervous system function.