How the stomach's electrical signals control movement
Official title: Electrophysiological Events Underlying Human Gastric Motility.
Funded at University of Nevada Reno · NIH-11252319 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at the electrical signals and special cells that control stomach movement to help people with conditions like gastroparesis or chronic indigestion.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nevada Reno NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Reno, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $638,709 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK057236-18 |
| Project ID | NIH-11252319 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with gastric motility disorders or patients scheduled for stomach surgery who can consent to donate tissue samples.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking an immediate treatment change or those without stomach movement problems are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from this basic science project.
What this research studies
Researchers will study human stomach muscle samples to map the electrical events and the cells that set the stomach's rhythm. They will compare samples from people of different ages, sexes, and ethnic backgrounds and perform detailed molecular and electrophysiological tests. Lab recordings and cell-level analyses will show how pacemaker cells and muscle communicate in humans rather than animals. Tissue is likely to come from patients undergoing stomach surgery, with the team working with surgical centers to collect samples.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better knowledge of human stomach electrical activity could point to new treatments or targets for gastroparesis and functional dyspepsia.
How similar studies have gone: Many insights come from animal studies, but direct studies of human gastric muscle are uncommon, so this approach is relatively novel in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nevada Reno
Reno, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ward, Sean M — University of Nevada Reno
- Study coordinator: Ward, Sean M
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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.