Federal Project Grant Award Summary

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc. received a $498,871 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), effective June 1, 2026, with completion scheduled for March 31, 2031. The award supports research dissecting spinal interneuron circuits that control motor output, with three primary objectives: (1) investigating the local connectivity of V1 interneurons to provide a mesoscale circuit map of this genetically-defined class, (2) leveraging knowledge of V1 heterogeneity to identify cell-type specific cis-regulatory elements for viral manipulation of V1 subsets, and (3) investigating the functional roles of V1 interneurons in motor output control.

The research deliverables encompass fundamental neuroscience investigations into spinal cord neural circuits, including circuit mapping, molecular characterization of interneuron populations, and functional analysis studies. This work addresses a major gap in understanding how heterogeneous spinal interneuron populations coordinate limb movement and muscle contraction, with potential applications for advancing therapeutic approaches to neurological disorders affecting motor function. The research aligns with NINDS's mission to support basic and translational investigations into fundamental nervous system structure and function to reduce neurological disease burden.