Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) awarded the University of Texas at Austin a $439,875 Project Grant on July 10, 2026, under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) to develop and validate a Mongolian gerbil in vivo cell labeling system for investigating sound localization circuitry. The research leverages the superior olivary complex (SOC)—specifically the medial and lateral superior olive (MSO and LSO)—to link sensory perception of sound localization to underlying neural circuits. The project addresses critical gaps in understanding how diverse cell types and intrinsic electrical properties in these brain regions contribute to sound localization and speech discrimination in noisy environments, utilizing the gerbil model's hearing range and binaural processing capabilities that more closely approximate human auditory function than traditional mouse models.

The deliverables include anatomical and physiological characterizations of cell populations within sound localization circuits, combining in vivo recordings, high-resolution patch-clamp electrophysiology, and cell labeling methodologies to overcome limitations of traditional single-cell approaches. This integrated approach is designed to enable comprehensive mapping of circuit organization and function across entire populations of defined cell types, with the ultimate completion date of June 30, 2028. The project is performed at the University of Texas at Austin, a premier federal research institution with substantial NIH funding portfolio and established neuroscience research capacity.