Understanding how barn owls select and respond to important sensory signals
Official title: CRCNS:US-lsrael Research Proposal: To Elucidate Fundamental Mechanisms of Transformed Saliency Map to
Funded at Albert Einstein College of Medicine · NIH-10907838 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how barn owls use their amazing hearing and sight to make decisions, and it’s for anyone curious about how animals process information in their brains.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albert Einstein College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bronx, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $236,618 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS135851-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10907838 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for benefiting from this research include individuals with sensory processing disorders or those interested in the neurological basis of attention and behavior.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to sensory processing or decision-making may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how barn owls, known for their exceptional ability to localize sounds and visual stimuli, process and respond to sensory information. By examining the neural mechanisms involved in selecting relevant stimuli, the study aims to uncover how these signals are transformed in the brain to guide behavior. Researchers will use advanced techniques to record brain activity in various regions while the owls engage with different sensory inputs, providing insights into the decision-making processes that govern their responses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enhance our understanding of sensory processing and decision-making, potentially informing treatments for conditions that affect these functions in humans.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has successfully explored sensory processing in animals, providing a foundation for this investigation, though the specific mechanisms in barn owls are less understood.
Where this research is happening
-
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pena, Jose L — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Pena, Jose L
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.