NIH-funded research R01 grant

Dynamic brain circuits in primates: how hearing, multisensory cues, and memory work together

Official title: Dynamic circuit motifs underlying multimodal interactions in primate auditory cortex

Funded at Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res · NIH-11374904 · Data updated 2026-11-12

Researchers are studying how the primate brain processes sounds alongside sights, eye movements, and memory to understand natural, real-world listening and behavior.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionNathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Orangeburg, United States)
Project startSeptember 16, 2022
Project endJune 30, 2027
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$632,935
NIH project number5R01DC019979-05
Project IDNIH-11374904 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Individuals with auditory processing or attention-related challenges may benefit from future translational work informed by these findings.

Less likely to help

Healthy individuals without auditory or attentional difficulties may not receive direct benefits from this basic science project.

What this research studies

This grant aims to map how different brain circuits in primates carry information during natural listening and seeing tasks, using multisite recordings to capture driving versus modulatory signals. The study will track auditory cortex activity while animals engage in natural behaviors, such as looking around and recalling memories, to reveal how perception and action are coordinated. By comparing human and nonhuman primates, the project seeks to identify circuit motifs that support real-world listening and multisensory integration. Results could inform how we understand attention, perception, and memory in everyday environments.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Understanding these brain circuits could lead to better interventions for hearing and attention difficulties, especially in complex, real-world settings.

How similar studies have gone: Previous similar approaches have begun to reveal how driving and modulatory circuits coordinate in the brain, with growing evidence of multisensory integration.

Where this research is happening

  • Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res
    Orangeburg, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: O'connell, Monica Noelle — Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res
  • Study coordinator: O'connell, Monica Noelle

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.