Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Connecticut Health Center received a $471,861 project grant award dated March 17, 2026, from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853). The award supports a two-year research project through February 28, 2028, focused on developing transposon-mediated genetic manipulation techniques to investigate oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) and their role in synapse formation and modulation of neuronal networks.

The research deliverables include the development of improved transposon-mediated conditional in utero electroporation approaches and empirical investigation of two primary hypotheses: (1) that OPCs dynamically modulate nearby neuron-neuron synapses in an activity-dependent manner following chemogenetic OPC activation, and (2) that selective deletion of the C1QL1 synaptic organizer protein gene from OPCs affects synaptic modulation. A key technical innovation involves creating novel methodologies to quantify neuron-OPC synapses while simultaneously monitoring neuron-neuron synapses, thereby eliminating confounding signals that currently limit the field's understanding of OPC participation in neural network function beyond myelination. These research outputs will advance fundamental knowledge of neurological processes and potential therapeutic mechanisms for demyelinating disorders such as multiple sclerosis.