Mapping how drugs affect brain cells using advanced technology
Official title: Functional drug fingerprinting with all-optical electrophysiology
Funded at Quiver Bioscience INC. · NIH-10880299 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring a new way to understand how brain diseases affect kids by using special technology to watch how brain cells work and see how different medicines might help improve their function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Quiver Bioscience INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2019 |
| Project end | June 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $378,127 |
| NIH project number | 5R44MH122052-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10880299 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years who are experiencing neurological conditions such as epilepsy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with neurological disorders outside the age range of 0-11 years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a platform that combines human cellular models of brain diseases with cutting-edge optical technology to measure neuronal activity. By using a method called all-optical electrophysiology, the researchers can capture detailed electrical signals from neurons at a high speed and resolution. The data collected will be analyzed using artificial intelligence to identify how different drugs can influence brain cell function, potentially leading to new treatments for neurological conditions in children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective anti-epileptic drugs tailored for children with neurological disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in using advanced electrophysiological techniques and AI for drug discovery, indicating a potential for success in this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Quiver Bioscience INC.
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harwood, Benjamin Nathaniel — Quiver Bioscience INC.
- Study coordinator: Harwood, Benjamin Nathaniel
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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.