Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded $450,175 to the Research Foundation For Mental Hygiene, Inc. (operating as the New York State Psychiatric Institute) on July 15, 2026, under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242). This two-year Project Grant, scheduled for completion on July 14, 2028, funds basic neuroscience research investigating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying fear generalization and its relationship to early life adversity (ELA). The research deliverables include empirical findings on how dopamine and norepinephrine signaling from locus coeruleus projections to the ventral dentate gyrus of the hippocampus dynamically regulate neural responses during fear generalization, and how early life adversity disrupts these regulatory mechanisms.

The research employs in vivo imaging techniques to document real-time neural activity and neurotransmitter release dynamics in animal models, with the objective of identifying neural circuits regulating fear generalization under normal conditions and in disease-relevant states associated with anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression. Research outputs will include peer-reviewed publications, methodological innovations in neurobiological imaging, and foundational knowledge applicable to understanding psychiatric disorder pathophysiology and informing future intervention development. This award supports NIMH's mission to transform understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through rigorous basic and clinical research conducted at the New York City-based research institute.