Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science received a $399,700 Project Grant 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), awarded June 1, 2026, with completion targeted for May 31, 2028. The award funds research on "Machine Learning Discovery of Novel Brainstem Nuclei Controlling Orofacial Behaviors," which aims to identify and characterize functional neuronal subpopulations within the medullary reticular formation that control orofacial motor functions including breathing, vocalization, swallowing, chewing, and facial movements. The research deliverables include machine learning-based clustering analyses of single-cell spatial transcriptomic data from the Allen Institute to define functionally-distinct orofacial control modules and systematic optogenetic mapping studies to validate these computationally-identified neural populations.

This research directly supports NINDS's mission to reduce the burden of neurological disease by advancing understanding of neural circuit organization underlying orofacial behaviors, with potential applications to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions such as Rett syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and Parkinson's disease that involve atypical facial movements and disrupted speech, swallowing, and breathing. The project is being conducted at Rosalind Franklin University's North Chicago, Illinois facility, leveraging the institution's established research infrastructure and neuroscience capabilities.