Understanding how daily rhythms and sensory signals wire the brain’s clocks
Official title: Molecular basis of circadian and sensory integration in neuronal clocks
Funded at Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr · NIH-11529343 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A lab grant to upgrade a mouse study with real-time brain activity recordings to learn how circadian timing and senses are integrated in brain circuits.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cincinnati, United States) |
| Project start | May 8, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $38,630 |
| NIH project number | 3R35GM158164-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11529343 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with brain disorders linked to circadian dysregulation or researchers studying neural circuits of circadian timekeeping in translational models.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without circadian-related brain disorders may not directly benefit from this preclinical/technical supplement.
What this research studies
This project adds a fiber photometry system with optogenetics and behavioral tracking to measure ongoing neuronal activity in freely moving animals across the day. It aims to capture dynamic brain signals over time, rather than only snapshot endpoints, so we can see how time-of-day information travels through neural networks. The work builds on an existing study and focuses on linking circadian timing with behavior and environmental cues in real time. Results could reveal how disruptions in these networks contribute to brain disorders related to circadian biology. The grant emphasizes technical capability rather than new patient care protocols, but the findings could ultimately inform treatments for circadian-related brain disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could improve our understanding of brain timing networks and inform therapies for sleep and circadian-related brain disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Similar animal studies using real-time neural activity monitoring have shown promising insights into circadian regulation of behavior, supporting the potential value of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr
Cincinnati, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fernandez, Diego Carlos — Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr
- Study coordinator: Fernandez, Diego Carlos
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.