Region-specific, controllable tracing of brain axons to study how neural networks shape behavior
Official title: Region-Specific, Inducible Axonal Tract-Tracing in the Brain
Funded at California Institute of Technology · NIH-11368068 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant funds research to develop and use advanced genetic tools to map and control specific brain neuron groups that influence affective and social behaviors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pasadena, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2004 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $806,563 |
| NIH project number | 2R01MH070053-21 |
| Project ID | NIH-11368068 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be individuals interested in how brain circuits for mood and social behavior operate, potentially benefiting from future translational advances.
✕Less likely to help
Early-stage basic science research may not yet translate to direct patient benefits.
What this research studies
Researchers at Caltech will create and apply genetically based methods to access and manipulate neurons with precise timing and location in the brain. They will combine computational analysis of large neural datasets with new optical techniques to mark, map, and perturb neuron subpopulations that participate in population codes underlying internal affective states and social behaviors. The goal is to understand how specific neuronal circuits contribute to behavior by testing causal roles in network dynamics using high-resolution imaging and perturbation strategies. This work aims to reveal how emergent network properties arise from defined neuron subsets, with potential implications for mood and social disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could inform new strategies to understand and eventually treat mood and social behavior disorders by targeting specific brain circuits.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that targeted neuronal manipulation can reveal causal roles in behavior, but this project focuses on computationally defined neuron subsets with high temporal and spatial precision.
Where this research is happening
-
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Anderson, David J — California Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Anderson, David J
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.