Developing a new lens for recording brain activity
Official title: A multi-foci objective lens for large scale brain activity recording
Funded at Cornell University · NIH-10906220 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on a new type of special lens that helps scientists see brain activity more clearly and quickly, which could help us learn more about how the brain works in living creatures.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cornell University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ithaca, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $328,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EY035439-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10906220 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research would include individuals with neurological conditions or those participating in studies related to brain function and imaging.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to brain activity or those who do not require advanced imaging techniques may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on creating an innovative bifocal lens that can simultaneously capture brain activity at different depths using two-photon and three-photon microscopy techniques. By allowing for faster imaging of large brain regions, this approach aims to enhance our understanding of neural circuits in living organisms. The lens will be designed to maintain high spatial resolution while enabling the collection of data from both shallow and deep brain tissues. This could lead to significant advancements in brain imaging technology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could greatly improve the ability to study brain function and disorders by providing clearer and more comprehensive images of neural activity.
How similar studies have gone: While the approach of combining two-photon and three-photon microscopy is innovative, similar imaging techniques have shown promise in other studies, indicating potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Cornell University
Ithaca, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xu, Chris — Cornell University
- Study coordinator: Xu, Chris
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
PORTENT 3.0 Technical Core for global health point-of-care tools
A NIH U54 grant supports Cornell and partners in advancing point-of-care technologies for nutrition, infection, and cancer to real-world use, especially in global health settings.
-
Point-of-care zinc test strips to verify infant zinc medicines in low-resource settings
A fast, low-cost smartphone‑based test strips method checks zinc-containing infant medicines in places with limited lab access.
-
Center for Spillover Prevention and One Health Readiness in Asia
A center in Asia works to prevent pandemics by studying how animal infections jump to humans and by building tools to detect and respond quickly to spillovers.
-
SAGE: A privacy-friendly system to monitor antimicrobial use in animals
A nationwide, privacy-preserving data hub will securely collect and standardize antimicrobial use data across animal species to support smarter stewardship and regulatory science.
-
Rapid, bedside KS diagnosis in Africa with KS-COMPLETE
A fast, point-of-care test using skin biopsies to diagnose Kaposi’s sarcoma in sub-Saharan Africa, helping patients get results in about an hour.
-
Nuclear mechanics in tight cell movement
Scientists are studying how the nucleus changes its shape and function when cells squeeze through very small spaces, which could affect health and disease.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.