How nerves control blood flow to the heart’s natural pacemaker
Official title: Project 8 - Autonomic regulation of coronary blood flow in the superior and inferior sinoatrial node
Funded at University of Nevada Reno · NIH-11372017 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the nervous system changes blood flow to the heart’s sinoatrial node to better understand causes of irregular heartbeats.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nevada Reno NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Reno, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2019 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $297,945 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM130459-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11372017 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for related future studies would include people with sinoatrial node dysfunction, unexplained slow heart rates (bradycardia), or recurrent arrhythmias linked to the node.
✕Less likely to help
People without heart rhythm problems or those seeking immediate treatment for symptomatic heart disease are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic research.
What this research studies
Researchers will compare blood supply and microvessels in the upper and lower regions of the sinoatrial node, the heart’s natural pacemaker. They will study how sympathetic nervous system activity (the “fight or flight” response) alters flow to those regions and how disease changes that regulation. The work will use tissue and physiological models to map vessels and measure flow responses under normal and stressed conditions. Findings will be connected to clinical evidence that damage to the sinoatrial nodal artery can promote arrhythmias.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to protect or restore blood flow to the sinoatrial node and reduce certain types of arrhythmias.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal and tissue studies have noted regional differences in node blood supply, but applying those findings to human disease and nervous-system control is still largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nevada Reno
Reno, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Grainger, Nathan — University of Nevada Reno
- Study coordinator: Grainger, Nathan
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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.