Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded the University of Pittsburgh a Project Grant of $1,004,971 under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) on April 8, 2026, with a completion date of February 28, 2029. The award supports the development of an integrated research platform designed to measure and analyze brain activity, cognitive states, behavior, and physiology in real-world settings. The project leverages a unique clinical opportunity to record multiday neural activity during natural behavior in epilepsy patients undergoing surgical treatment, addressing a critical gap in neuroscience research regarding how brain, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological processes interact at the minutes-to-hours timescale in naturalistic conditions.

The research platform integrates cutting-edge wearable technology, artificial intelligence applications, and advanced computational approaches including neural network and dynamical systems learning methodologies. This work represents a significant departure from traditional neuroscience research paradigms that typically examine brain function either in highly controlled laboratory settings lasting milliseconds-to-seconds or through longitudinal studies spanning months-to-years. By capturing the dynamic interrelationship between brain physiology and real-world cognitive and behavioral fluctuations influenced by factors such as circadian rhythms, hunger, and physiological state, the project generates research products and methodologies with potential implications for understanding how neurological and psychiatric conditions manifest variably across different physiological and behavioral states.