How groups of mice behave under stress
Official title: Neural basis of collective behavior during environmental stress
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-10880579 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how groups of mice work together and behave when it's really cold, using special cameras to see how they move and interact, and it aims to help us understand social behavior in people, especially those with autism and schizophrenia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | July 3, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $122,502 |
| NIH project number | 5K99MH133159-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10880579 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or related neurodevelopmental conditions who experience challenges in social interactions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have neurodevelopmental disorders or those whose social functioning is not impaired may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how groups of mice interact and organize themselves when faced with environmental stress, specifically cold temperatures. By using advanced computer vision technology, the study tracks the movements and positions of individual mice to understand their collective behavior. The goal is to uncover the neural mechanisms that underlie social interactions in larger groups, which could provide insights into social functioning in humans, particularly in conditions like autism and schizophrenia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to a better understanding of social behavior in humans, potentially informing treatments for social dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders.
How similar studies have gone: While there has been significant research on dyadic social interactions, this approach to studying group behavior under stress is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Raam, Tara — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Raam, Tara
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how genetic changes in blood cells relate to heart disease in people with HIV
A study will look at how age-related blood cell mutations and large chromosomal changes might contribute to heart disease risk in people living with HIV.
-
Systems genetics of vascular smooth muscle phenotypes in heart disease
Aims to understand how genetic differences influence vascular smooth muscle cells to improve prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease.
-
Motivation for Alcohol Use in Humans and How It Can Be Measured
This grant explores how people are motivated to drink alcohol and tests a safe, controlled way to study that motivation to inform better treatments for alcohol use disorder.
-
Overcoming CAR T cell resistance with tumor-targeted IL-12 to boost anti-tumor immunity
Aims to make CAR T cell therapy work better for solid tumors by using tumor-focused IL-12 to boost the body’s attack on cancer.
-
PediCODE: A Biorepository and Consortium for CoDE - Congenital Diarrhea and Enteropathy
A nationwide effort to collect clinical data and patient-derived samples to uncover the genetic causes of congenital diarrhea and enteropathy and to build a resource that helps researchers study these diseases.
-
Mentor Moms+: a community-led plan to cut alcohol use and HIV risk during pregnancy in South Africa
A community-based program adapts a trusted peer-led model to help pregnant and lactating people reduce alcohol use and HIV risk in South Africa.
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.