Project Grant R03NS151257

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded the University of Massachusetts Medical School $167,500 on July 14, 2026, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853) to support basic research on the molecular functions of three chromatin remodeling proteins—DPF1, DPF3, and PHF10—within mammalian switch/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) or BAF (Brahma-Associated Factor) ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes. The research deliverables include biochemical characterization and in vitro reconstitution studies of these protein subunits and their roles in BAF complex activity, with particular focus on nucleosome binding, histone octamer transfer, and chromatin remodeling mechanisms. This basic research directly addresses gaps in understanding proteins implicated in multiple neurodevelopmental disorders—including Nicolaides-Baraitser Syndrome, Baraitser-Winter Syndrome, Coffin-Sirius Syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and Hirschsprung disease—as well as their involvement in human cancers where BAF complex genes are mutated in over 20% of cases.

The award period extends through June 30, 2027, and will be conducted at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Worcester, Massachusetts facility. As a Project Grant within NINDS's predominantly grant-based funding portfolio, this award supports fundamental neuroscience research emphasizing scientific merit, experimental design rigor, and investigator competency in exploring the structure and function of the brain and nervous system to reduce the burden of neurological disease.