Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Effects of adolescent social isolation on glial dysfunction and social behavior in adulthood

Award Number: K01MH140047
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2029

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Effects of adolescent social isolation on glial dysfunction and social behavior in adulthood - Project Summary/Abstract Adolescence is a dynamic developmental period marked by brain circuit refinement. Social stress during adolescence can influence the development of maladaptive behaviors and increase the risk of later-life psychiatric disorder. Despite wide appreciation for this link, the mechanisms connecting adolescent stress to later psychiatric risk remain unclear. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a critical integrative hub within the brain that undergoes refinement during adolescence and is essential for processing social information. Within the NAc, astrocytes are uniquely positioned to sense a diversity of neurotransmitters and regulate incoming circuit projections. As astrocytes are susceptible to stress-induced dysfunction, it is likely that they contribute to the behavioral deficits seen after adolescent social isolation. In support of this, preliminary data reveal that socially isolating rats during adolescence induces a dramatic decrease in astrocyte structural complexity within the NAc core, compared to group-housed controls, in adulthood. Isolation also increased microglia phagocytosis, and phagolysosomes within microglia contained the astrocyte marker GLT-1, suggesting that microglia engulf astrocytic elements. This proposal will test the novel hypothesis that adolescent social isolation stress induces microglial pruning of astrocytes, resulting in astrocyte/synaptic decoupling in the NAc core across development. Aim 1 will examine how social isolation stress induces microglia phagocytosis of astrocytes and astrocyte/synapse decoupling throughout adolescent social isolation using confocal microscopy and three- dimensional cellular image analysis and will test the prediction that isolation-induced astrocyte and behavioral deficits can be rescued by pharmacological blockade of phagocytosis in vivo. Aim 2 will assess how isolation stress affects the ability of astrocytes to sense and/or regulate synaptic transmission in the NAc core using a combination of ex vivo slice calcium imaging and electrophysiology. Together, these findings will reshape appreciation of microglia/astrocyte interactions and provide novel insights into how glial dysfunction affects neural circuit activity in response to stress. The Mentored Research Scientist Development Award will additionally provide essential training in the conceptual and technical approaches needed for a long-term program of study to investigate how adolescent social stress shapes astrocyte-neuron interactions and neural circuit function. Building upon prior training in microglia physiology and developmental neuroscience, this proposal will specifically provide additional advanced training in 1) the methodological and experimental design for models of early life adversity, 2) ex vivo slice astrocyte calcium imaging, and 3) patch clamp electrophysiology, to establish a strong foundation for an independent research career. Results obtained from the proposed studies will also pave the way for future evidence-based studies regarding maladaptive effects of stress on glial function.


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: 2026 ( Subtotal = $572,294 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL	104 AIRPORT DR STE 2200	CHAPEL HILL	NC	27599	ORANGE	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	7/15/2026	NEW	$572,294
														Subtotal = $572,294

Grand Total All Awards = $572,294

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Effects of adolescent social isolation on glial dysfunction and social behavior in adulthood

Award Number: K01MH140047

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2029

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer