Ultraflexible spinal electrodes to map and influence nerve signals in moving animals
Official title: Optimizing ultraflexible electrodes and integrated electronics for high-resolution, large-scale intraspinal recording and modulation
Funded at Rice University · NIH-11392354 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant supports developing ultra-flexible spinal implants to record and modulate nerve activity in behaving animals, with the aim of better understanding and potentially treating spinal cord function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rice University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,372,424 |
| NIH project number | 5U01NS131086-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392354 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be patients with spinal cord injuries or spinal cord-related disorders who could benefit from advanced neural interfacing technologies in the future.
✕Less likely to help
People without spinal cord conditions or without potential access to future spinal neuromodulation therapies may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers at Rice University are creating ultra-flexible electrodes and integrated electronics to record from and influence spinal neurons in awake, moving animals. The project addresses the challenge of spinal movement that makes traditional implants noisy and prone to injury, by designing probes that move with the tissue. Early data show the team can record single neurons in the spinal cord of behaving mice and track neuron populations during diverse behaviors over time. This work could pave the way for new tools and therapies that restore or improve spinal function after injury. The grant supports a multi-year effort to refine the technology and demonstrate reliable, chronic performance in realistic conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the technology could enable better understanding of spinal circuits and eventually lead to new therapies for spinal cord injuries or diseases that affect movement and sensation.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows promise in recording neural signals with flexible probes, but translating these methods to the spinal cord in behaving animals remains challenging and is still developing.
Where this research is happening
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Rice University
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xie, Chong — Rice University
- Study coordinator: Xie, Chong
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.