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

CRCNS: Continual Learning with Neurogenesis and Feedback in the Olfactory Bulb

Award Number: R01DC024495
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2029

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

CRCNS: Continual Learning with Neurogenesis and Feedback in the Olfactory Bulb - PROJECT SUMMARY (See instructions): Neural representations of stimuli in early sensory areas form the basis of perception and decision-making. Perceptual decision-making tasks can be difficult to learn when the stimuli that need to be discriminated are very similar, even more so when multiple tasks need to be learned in sequence without forgetting previously acquired information. During perceptual task acquisition in which mice learn to discriminate between similar odors over days, mitral cells in the olfactory bulb show a gradual pattern decorrelation such that the representations of the similar odors become increasingly dissimilar. These changes are driven by plasticity associated with neurogenesis in the granule cell population of the bulb, which receives feedback projections from the piriform cortex that can modulate plasticity. Here we use this perceptual learning paradigm as a platform to study continual learning in the mouse olfactory bulb. We will apply experimental, computational, and modeling approaches to investigate the roles of adult neurogenesis and centrifugal feedback in supporting learning and minimizing catastrophic forgetting of previously learned tasks. This interdisciplinary research will help us understand how neurogenesis contributes to the extraordinary adaptability of this sensory system, how feedback from the piriform cortex shapes the neural representations in the olfactory bulb to support efficient learning, and how these two mechanisms work together to compartmentalize the learning of different tasks to reduce task interference. This research is directly aligned with the mission of NIDCD, especially its Taste and Smell Program, since it expands our knowledge of how the olfactory system uses different mechanisms to ensure that individuals are able to adapt to the constantly changing sensory environment. This is also relevant to public health because olfaction is often the first sensory system affected in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. We focus on the regulation of the olfactory system by neurogenesis and feedback, two processes that are also vulnerable in these diseases. A better understanding of how these processes ensure the robust adaptability of the system could lead to targeted intervention strategies in the future.


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 = $395,880 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DR	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	8/4/2026	NEW	$395,880
														Subtotal = $395,880

Grand Total All Awards = $395,880

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

CRCNS: Continual Learning with Neurogenesis and Feedback in the Olfactory Bulb

Award Number: R01DC024495

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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