Mapping molecular changes in the depressed hippocampus
Official title: Human brain multi-omics to decipher major depression pathophysiology
Funded at New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC · NIH-11141783 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will compare proteins and gene activity in hippocampus tissue from adults with major depression and people without psychiatric illness to learn what changes in the brain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,298,210 |
| NIH project number | 4RF1MH133561-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11141783 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with a history of major depressive disorder (or their next-of-kin) who are willing to contribute or consent to postmortem brain tissue donation for research.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate symptom relief or clinical treatment will not directly benefit because this is a laboratory analysis of postmortem tissue rather than a therapeutic trial.
What this research studies
This project analyzes postmortem hippocampus tissue from adults who had major depressive disorder and from people without psychiatric illness. Scientists will use high-resolution mass spectrometry for proteins and single-nucleus RNA-seq and snATAC to map gene activity and chromatin accessibility at the level of individual cell types and hippocampal subregions. The team will identify genes and proteins that differ in depression and link those molecular changes to known genetic risk signals. Findings aim to reveal the specific cell types and pathways altered in depression and point to targets for future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal molecular targets and affected cell types in the hippocampus that guide development of more effective, targeted treatments for depression.
How similar studies have gone: Multi-omics and single-nucleus methods have revealed mechanisms in other brain disorders and animal models, but applying them to human hippocampus in depression is relatively novel and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
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New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dupont, Maura Boldrini — New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
- Study coordinator: Dupont, Maura Boldrini
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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.