Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded $409,750 to the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) on March 15, 2026, for a two-year research project concluding March 14, 2028. This project grant funds fundamental neuroscience research investigating the role of localized dopamine signals in learning and neural circuit function. The research employs two-photon microscopy and genetically encoded sensors to simultaneously track dopamine release and neuronal activity in real-time as laboratory mice perform neuroprosthetic control tasks, enabling researchers to directly identify task-relevant neurons and determine whether dopamine modulation occurs at the single-neuron level or across broader neural networks.

The research deliverables include empirical findings on dopamine's spatial specificity in shaping learning processes and the mechanisms by which this neuromodulator influences neural circuits. These outcomes are designed to advance fundamental understanding of brain mechanisms underlying learning and to elucidate how dopamine signaling disruptions contribute to psychiatric conditions including depression, schizophrenia, and addiction. The project's findings are expected to support development of more targeted therapeutic interventions focusing on dopamine-related brain circuits for treatment of cognitive dysfunction and mental health disorders, thereby advancing the NIMH mission to transform understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research.