Mapping molecular brain changes in ALS and frontotemporal dementia
Official title: Integrating spatial multi-omics and clinical covariates to identify mechanisms of disease in ALS-FTD
Funded at New York Genome Center · NIH-11296425 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses detailed molecular and spatial mapping of brain tissue to connect specific brain changes with thinking, language, and behavior problems in people with ALS and frontotemporal dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York Genome Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2020 |
| Project end | January 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $712,015 |
| NIH project number | 2R01NS118183-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11296425 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with ALS or ALS-FTD who can share clinical records and, in some cases, consent to donate brain tissue after death.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without ALS or FTD, or those expecting an immediate treatment, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze brain tissue from people with ALS and frontotemporal dementia to map where genes and proteins are active across different brain regions. They combine this spatial multi-omics data with patients' clinical information about language, thinking, and behavior to find patterns that match specific symptoms. The team focuses on regions known to be involved in language and executive function and looks for cell-type changes, especially in support cells called glia. Findings come from detailed lab mapping and linked medical records or autopsy donations rather than a treatment trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help explain why people with ALS have very different cognitive and behavioral symptoms and point to biomarkers or targets for future therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked region-specific gene changes and glial involvement to symptoms in ALS-FTD, but applying spatial multi-omics at this scale is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
New York Genome Center
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Phatnani, Hemali — New York Genome Center
- Study coordinator: Phatnani, Hemali
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
New York Genome Center’s project on somatic mosaicism across human tissues
A nationwide effort to build a high-quality catalog of somatic genetic changes found in healthy tissues from people of diverse backgrounds, with the goal of better understanding aging and disease.
-
Mapping genome control switches in immune cells to understand autoimmune diseases
A team will build a high-throughput toolbox to map how noncoding genome regions control gene activity in human immune cells to better understand autoimmune diseases and brittle diabetes.
-
Scalable multi-ancestry genomics to uncover blood and heart disease mechanisms
A multi-ancestry study will explore how genetic differences influence blood traits and cardiovascular disease using scalable functional genomics tools.
-
Predicting Psychosis Outcomes from Electronic Health Records
Researchers will use electronic health records to help predict how people with psychosis may fare over time and tailor care.
-
ALS-FTSD: How brain regions and cells drive ALS and frontotemporal dementia together
A research grant to study how specific brain regions and cellular changes relate to ALS and related frontotemporal dementia symptoms in people who have the disease.
-
Understanding genetic networks in autism and bipolar disorders to improve biology and treatment
A research grant will study how genetic factors influence autism and bipolar disorder by using advanced math and large genetic datasets to map networks in the brain.
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.