Understanding how smell and movement shape each other in mice
Official title: Understanding the neuronal mechanisms of closed-loop olfaction
Funded at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory · NIH-11362388 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how mice use their own movements to shape how they smell things, and how smelling then guides their next actions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cold Spring Harbor, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $556,658 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC020842-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11362388 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults of any age in animal models (mice) used for sensorimotor and olfactory studies.
✕Less likely to help
This study does not involve human participants and will not directly benefit patients.
What this research studies
The project tests a closed-loop model where odor sampling and movement influence each other, using a new odor-localization task called Smellocator in mice. It will record brain activity and analyze specific olfactory circuits to see how predictions about smells are generated and compared with actual odor input. The goal is to reveal how olfactory perception becomes coordinated with movement through learned sensorimotor predictions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these sensorimotor processes could lead to better insights into how smell-driven behavior develops and adapts, potentially informing treatments for olfactory or motor disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work in sensorimotor integration suggests that olfactory processing is modulated by movement, supporting the potential for successful findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Cold Spring Harbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Albeanu, Dinu Florentin — Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Study coordinator: Albeanu, Dinu Florentin
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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.