Project Grant R01NS146414

Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai a $669,891 Project Grant on February 3, 2026, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) program. The five-year project, concluding January 30, 2031, will deliver comprehensive research products examining Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by tau pathology. The research integrates genome-wide association studies (GWAS), spatial transcriptomics, and multiplex immunohistochemistry to generate novel scientific outputs including: identification of genetic risk loci in diverse populations previously underrepresented in PSP genetic studies; high-resolution gene expression maps of tau-positive and tau-negative glial populations in key brain regions such as the primary motor cortex and putamen; and region-specific protein markers of neurodegeneration through immunohistochemical analysis. These research products are intended to advance understanding of glial tauopathy mechanisms and uncover molecular drivers of PSP pathogenesis.

The research directly addresses critical gaps in understanding how glial cells—astrocytes and oligodendrocytes—contribute to PSP neuropathology alongside neuronal tau pathology, a distinctive feature of this tauopathy that has remained poorly characterized. By integrating genetic, transcriptomic, and cellular analyses, the project will produce molecular insights and research data intended to facilitate discovery of novel therapeutic targets and deepen comprehension of PSP's genetic architecture across diverse patient populations.