Tuesday, September 16, 2025 9/16/2025

Multiscale imaging of context-dependent decision-making

Award Number: F30MH135661
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/15/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/14/2028

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Multiscale imaging of context-dependent decision-making - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Real-life decisions are often context-dependent. For example, a motorist may decide to slow down at a yellow traffic light if a police car is nearby or accelerate if the intersection is empty. The ability to use contextual information to flexibly guide decisions is a critical component of higher-order cognition that is often impaired in psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia. To facilitate the identification of potential therapies for these disorders, scientists have investigated the brain bases of context-dependent decision-making in humans and animal models. Whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies in humans have identified areas in the frontal and parietal cortices that appear to maintain contextual information so it can be used to guide subsequent decisions. However, fMRI alone cannot reveal the causal and cellular-level roles of these areas in context-dependent decision-making, and this level of understanding is critical for the development of novel therapeutics. As such, studying the neurobiology of context maintenance and other higher-order cognitive processes in mice will be crucial for guiding research on new therapies for human disorders. However, it is still unclear (1) what areas across the mouse brain contribute to the maintenance of contextual information and (2) how activity in these areas shapes activity in decision-making regions and behavior. The aims of this proposal leverage the global coverage of fMRI and the extensive genetic toolkit available in mice to answer these questions. Aim 1 uses a novel platform for behaving mouse fMRI to image mice as they complete a task that requires them to maintain contextual information in order to receive rewards. Comparing brain activity during this task to activity in a nearly identical task that does not rely on contextual information will identify areas that are involved in the maintenance of contextual information across the brain. Aim 2 uses optogenetics and two-photon microscopy to silence activity in one of these potential context maintenance areas to determine how it causally contributes to cellular-level activity in a decision-making area and task performance. Together, these experiments will unveil new neural substrates of context-dependent decision- making and suggest potential treatment targets for future pre-clinical studies of psychiatric illness. This proposal was tailored to both exploit my existing expertise in whole-brain imaging and facilitate my acquisition of new technical skills and professional competencies that will advance me towards my goal of becoming an independent physician-scientist. Dr. Michael Shadlen, an expert in perceptual decision-making, and Dr. Itamar Kahn, an expert in behaving mouse fMRI, are the ideal pair of sponsors for this project, and the vibrant scientific and clinical communities at Columbia make this the ideal place for me to pursue this training.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $51,501 )
2025	2025	THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK	630 W 168TH ST FL 4	NEW YORK	NY	10032	NEW YORK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	2/19/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$50,937
2025	2025	THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK	630 W 168TH ST FL 4	NEW YORK	NY	10032	NEW YORK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	2	9/8/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$564
														Subtotal = $51,501

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $50,937 )
2024	2024	THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK	630 W 168TH ST FL 4	NEW YORK	NY	10032	NEW YORK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	1	3/8/2024	NEW	$0
2024	2024	THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK	630 W 168TH ST FL 4	NEW YORK	NY	10032	NEW YORK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	002	1	7/5/2024	NEW	$1,280
2024	2024	THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK	630 W 168TH ST FL 4	NEW YORK	NY	10032	NEW YORK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	3/8/2024	NEW	$49,657
														Subtotal = $50,937

Grand Total All Awards = $102,438

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Multiscale imaging of context-dependent decision-making

Award Number: F30MH135661

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/15/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/14/2028

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer