Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded the University of Texas at Austin a Project Grant totaling $393,284.00 (awarded June 13, 2026, with completion by May 31, 2031) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) program. The project, "Targeting Synapse Turnover to Enhance Stroke Rehabilitation," focuses on fundamental neuroscience research examining how the brain reorganizes following stroke and how behavioral rehabilitation training can be optimized to improve functional outcomes. The research will employ repeated in vivo imaging techniques to visualize dendritic spine turnover and synaptic structural plasticity in a mouse model of stroke-induced motor impairment, with particular emphasis on understanding the temporal dynamics and mechanisms by which rehabilitative training shapes neural circuit remodeling in surviving motor cortex regions.

The deliverables include detailed scientific findings regarding the interaction between stroke-induced and rehabilitation-driven synaptic changes, with potential to inform better timing and implementation of behavioral interventions for post-stroke upper limb recovery. The research outputs will contribute foundational knowledge to the NINDS mission of reducing the burden of neurological disease through an improved understanding of brain plasticity mechanisms and their therapeutic application, with results intended for publication in peer-reviewed scientific literature and potential translation to clinical rehabilitation protocols.