Understanding brain circuits to help develop better mental health therapies
Official title: Preclinical Assays of Hippocampal-Prefrontal Cortical Circuit Engagement for Application in Therapeutic Development
Funded at University of Arizona · NIH-11534907 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing how well brain circuits involved in emotion and thinking work in animals to guide new treatments for mental health challenges.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $551,988 |
| NIH project number | 7R01MH126236-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11534907 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable at this stage; however, future translation could involve people with mood or cognitive disorders once therapies are developed.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient benefit in this preclinical stage.
What this research studies
This project looks at how the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex communicate and how this affects thinking and mood. It uses preclinical models to measure brain activity and behavior that reflect cognitive and emotional processing. The goal is to create clearer signals that could be used to screen potential drugs before human trials. If successful, these methods could make future therapies for conditions like anxiety or depression more likely to work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Sharper, more reliable tests for drug candidates could speed up the development of effective mental health treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that circuit-level brain measures can inform drug development, supporting continued exploration in this area.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Arizona
Tucson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maurer, Andrew Porter — University of Arizona
- Study coordinator: Maurer, Andrew Porter
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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.