High-fidelity brain voltage imaging with advanced optical tools
Official title: Enabling high-fidelity population voltage imaging with next-generation optical platforms and indicators
Funded at Rockefeller University · NIH-11418472 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are developing a new optical platform to watch electrical activity in many neurons at once, inside a living brain, using gene-made voltage indicators.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rockefeller University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $675,030 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH141913-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11418472 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with brain conditions where high-resolution, noninvasive or minimally invasive neural activity mapping could inform research or future therapies.
✕Less likely to help
This basic and methodological research may not directly provide a therapy or diagnostic for any specific patient today.
What this research studies
This project aims to push the limits of two-photon imaging to capture fast electrical signals from large neuron populations with single-cell precision. By improving voltage indicators and designing a specialized imaging system, it seeks clearer, faster, and brighter recordings from brain tissue. The work builds on previous mesoscale imaging advances and adds a spike-detection component to identify neuronal events in real time. The goal is a robust platform that researchers could use to study how brain circuits generate flexible behavior.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit indirectly from faster, more detailed brain measurements that advance understanding of neural circuits and potentially inform treatments for brain disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work showed that large-scale neuronal imaging is feasible; this project extends those concepts to voltage imaging with anticipated novel gains.
Where this research is happening
-
Rockefeller University
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vaziri, Alipasha — Rockefeller University
- Study coordinator: Vaziri, Alipasha
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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.