Understanding the body's stress response and daily rhythms in brain health
Integrated stress response and the circadian clock
This work explores how our body's stress response system interacts with our natural daily clock in brain cells, which could help us understand various brain conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11129768 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies have an internal clock that guides many functions, and when it's disrupted, it can lead to health problems, especially in the brain. We also have a built-in stress response system that helps cells recover from challenges. This project aims to discover how these two important systems, the daily clock and the stress response, communicate and influence each other within brain cells. Researchers will use advanced techniques and special mouse models to observe how stress affects the daily clock and how the clock, in turn, manages the stress response throughout the day. This foundational understanding could reveal new ways to support brain health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research does not directly involve patient participation at this stage, but future studies building on this knowledge may seek individuals with brain disorders related to stress or circadian rhythm disruption.
Not a fit: Patients not experiencing brain disorders or conditions linked to stress responses or circadian rhythm disruptions may not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a better understanding of how stress and sleep cycles contribute to brain disorders, potentially opening doors for new treatments.
How similar studies have performed: While the general concepts of circadian rhythms and stress responses are well-studied, the specific interaction between the integrated stress response and the circadian clock in neurons is a relatively new area of focus, with preliminary data suggesting a novel connection.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cao, Ruifeng (Ray) — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Cao, Ruifeng (Ray)
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 below.