Helping the brain rewire to restore movement after stroke
Official title: Functional Allocation in Circuit Repair After Stroke
Funded at Jackson Laboratory · NIH-11367263 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are trying to reactivate learning-related brain cells to help adults regain movement after a stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Jackson Laboratory NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bar Harbor, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2026 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $653,098 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NS144556-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11367263 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have had a stroke and continue to have motor problems, such as weakness or loss of fine movement in an arm or hand, would be most relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without stroke-related motor deficits, children, or those whose injuries do not involve the targeted brain circuits are unlikely to benefit from these specific findings.
What this research studies
This work looks at how the brain's natural learning programs might be used to rebuild circuits damaged by stroke. Using advanced two-photon imaging, the team will watch large groups of neurons during precise movement tests and tag the active cell ensembles with viral tools. They will read the genes turned on in those cells (transcriptomics) to find molecular programs linked to recovery. The goal is to identify circuit and molecular targets that could later be turned into treatments to boost motor recovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new ways to help the brain rewire itself and improve arm and hand movement after stroke.
How similar studies have gone: Related animal studies have shown that targeting learning-related molecular programs can boost recovery, but applying the specific idea of 'functional allocation' to post-stroke circuit repair is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Jackson Laboratory
Bar Harbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Joy, Mary Teena — Jackson Laboratory
- Study coordinator: Joy, Mary Teena
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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.