This $180,497 federal Project Grant awarded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) on August 15, 2023 will support research at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to investigate the circuit architecture and dynamics of the insular cortex and its role in motivational behaviors.
The key objectives of the project are to: 1) use machine learning-based algorithms to comprehensively identify functional subdivisions, neuronal types, and cell-specific connectivity within the insular cortex; 2) link the activities of individual insular cortex cell types and subregions to animal vigor or valence using two-photon calcium imaging; and 3) simultaneously image the dynamics of cAMP/protein kinase A, a key intracellular signaling pathway mediating neuromodulation. This research aims to gain an in-depth understanding of how discrete insular cortex circuits and neuromodulatory processes underlie the regulation of motivated behaviors at the cellular level. The project will run through July 31, 2026 under the 21st Century Cures Act - Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative program (CFDA 93.372).