Project Grant R21HD121002

Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of California, San Diego received a $440,000 Project Grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865). The award, effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, funds research characterizing brainstem noradrenergic circuits that control reproductive function. The research investigates how chronic psychosocial stress impairs reproductive capacity by examining the role of norepinephrine-expressing neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract and their interactions with hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons that regulate luteinizing hormone secretion and sex steroid production.

The project addresses a significant public health concern, as stress-related reproductive disorders affect approximately 25% of reproductive-age couples worldwide. The research will elucidate the central neural circuits through which stress suppresses reproductive function, with implications extending beyond reproductive health to general brain, bone, and cardiovascular health outcomes in both males and females. Deliverables will include fundamental mechanistic understanding of how specific brainstem neural ensembles convey physiological and stress-related signals to reproductive centers in the hypothalamus, contributing to both basic neuroscience knowledge and potential therapeutic approaches to stress-induced infertility and related health conditions.