Federal Grant Award Summary

Vanderbilt University received a $614,306 Project Grant 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), awarded May 15, 2026, with completion targeted for February 28, 2031. The research will be conducted at Vanderbilt's Nashville, Tennessee campus and focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of synaptic remodeling through investigation of the Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (NCAM) protein complex and its binding partner RIG-3 in the Caenorhabditis elegans model organism.

The project delivers fundamental neuroscience research products centered on establishing the molecular basis of NCAM-1 and RIG-3 protein interactions through biochemical and structural analysis, followed by validation experiments in living organisms to characterize how these adhesion proteins function in presynaptic disassembly and recycling during synaptic remodeling. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding synaptic plasticity mechanisms that are conserved across animal species and has potential implications for learning, memory, and neurological disease mechanisms in the human brain. This investigation advances NINDS's mission to reduce the burden of neurological disease by generating fundamental knowledge about nervous system structure and function.