Time-dependent membrane proteins in circadian brain cells
Official title: Time-dependent membrane proteomics in circadian pacemaker neurons
Funded at Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · NIH-11453680 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project will map how membrane proteins in brain clock neurons change over time and may reveal targets to support healthy sleep, metabolism, and behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $460,625 |
| NIH project number | 1R21NS146961-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11453680 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be individuals or patient groups affected by circadian-related disorders or sleep–wake disturbances in which clock mechanisms are implicated.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without sleep or circadian issues may not directly benefit from this basic science study.
What this research studies
This project aims to uncover time-specific membrane proteins in circadian pacemaker neurons using advanced proteomics and proximity labeling. By comparing proteins present on the surface of these neurons at different times, researchers hope to link molecular changes to daily rhythms in activity and behavior. The work focuses on Drosophila models to understand how clock networks coordinate diverse neural activity patterns with the body’s clock. Findings could point to new biological targets relevant to sleep, metabolism, and mental health in humans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these temporal membrane changes could lead to new approaches for improving sleep, metabolism, and mood by aligning therapies with biological rhythms.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that clock neurons have time-specific activity and protein changes, supporting the feasibility of this approach in identifying membrane targets.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Emery, Patrick — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Emery, Patrick
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how human heart pacemaker cells develop
Scientists are studying how the human heart’s natural pacemaker forms, which could lead to better treatments for rhythm problems.
-
Understanding how specialized heart pacemaker cells drive rhythm and dysfunction
This NIH grant explores how distinct heart pacemaker cell subtypes contribute to normal rhythm and sinus node dysfunction, with the goal of guiding better treatments for heart rhythm problems.
-
Biopacemakers for aging hearts using stem-cell pacemaker cells
Aims to help older patients with a faulty heart rhythm by using lab-made pacemaker cells grown from patients’ own stem cells.
-
Magnesium transporter and heart pacemaker: a primate model of arrhythmias
A physician-scientist at Stanford is studying how a magnesium transporter affects the heart's natural pacemaker rhythm in primate-like models to better understand human arrhythmias.
-
How heart pacemakers sense stretch and speed up
A study at the University of Washington will explore how PIEZO channels in the heart’s pacemaker help the heart beat faster when the heart experiences stretch.
-
Protecting the heart's natural pacemaker cells
Researchers are looking at how the heart’s natural pacemaker cells and their supporting tissue stay protected from mechanical stress to help adults with pacemaker problems.
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.