Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded the University of Missouri System a Project Grant totaling $329,234 on June 15, 2026, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) program. The research project, titled "Transforming Synapses to Operate During Extreme Metabolic Dysfunction," will be conducted in Columbia, Missouri, and is scheduled for completion by May 31, 2031.

This research initiative addresses fundamental neuroscience questions regarding how the brain maintains synaptic function during severe energy deficiency—a condition common to multiple neurological disorders including stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The primary deliverable is basic research that reverse-engineers synaptic adaptation mechanisms identified in hibernating frog brains, which demonstrate a 30-fold improvement in synaptic survival without oxygen and glucose delivery. The project will employ multiple physiological techniques to investigate three complementary mechanisms: enabling brain glycogen utilization as a primary fuel source, maintaining neural network connectivity through metabolite-mediated synaptic strengthening, and reducing pathological calcium influx to constrain neuronal excitability. Findings from this research are expected to generate foundational knowledge applicable to therapeutic interventions across multiple neurological diseases affected by metabolic dysfunction.