The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) received a $187,431 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242). The award, with a start date of August 1, 2024 and an ultimate completion date of July 31, 2026, will support research to determine whether early life sleep disruption interacts with genetic vulnerabilities associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specifically the CHD8 gene. The project aims to establish developmental sleep disruption as a risk factor for ASD by examining its impact on behavior and synapse maturation in a CHD8 ASD mouse model. This research builds on the awardee's prior work demonstrating the effects of sleep disruption on behavior in a separate ASD genetic model. The findings are expected to provide insights into the role of sleep in the development of ASD and identify potential convergent mechanisms that could inform future therapeutic interventions.
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