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

A multi-organoid-on-a-chip platform for interrogating human brain (dys)connectivity

Award Number: R01MH136351
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2029

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

A multi-organoid-on-a-chip platform for interrogating human brain (dys)connectivity - SUMMARY Brain imaging approaches are a promising method for unveiling network abnormalities in living brains of patients with psychiatric disorders; however, understanding these pathologies will only be possible when human specific abnormalities in cell connectivity, network circuit activity and transcriptomes can be directly interrogated and correlated in an experimental system amenable to high-throughput manipulation and phenotyping. Despite the excitement surrounding human brain organoids derived from pluripotent stem cells, scientists are frustrated with the limited physiologically relevant anatomy and maturation of brain organoids. We propose to pioneer a multi-organoid-on-chip (MoC) platform, combining tissue engineering technologies and newer organoid analysis readouts, to address this challenge. As a first proof of concept study, we propose to recapitulate the human visual system, a commonly affected network in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, by co-developing three (retinal, thalamic, cortical) organoids on a microfluidic device designed to foster functional connectivity, thereby allowing: i) co-development of distinct central nervous system (CNS) structures with distinct anatomical organizations; ii) establishment and mapping of reproducible and functional long-range connectivity between defined CNS structures; iii) activity-dependent maturation of synaptic connections by spontaneous, optogenetically-regulated, and sensory-evoked stimulation of neuronal activity. The synthetic platform will also facilitate high-throughput multimodal analysis with direct correlation between specific circuit connectivity and molecular dynamics at single cell resolution, in healthy and diseased organoids. In addition to improving the understanding and screening of drugs for complex brain disorders, our platform provides a valuable resource for the broader research community interested in modeling circuit-level dysfunctions in other types of neurological disorders, including retinal diseases and optic neuropathy. Finally, we expect that the method and modular technologies developed within this proposal will be foundational and easily adapted to recapitulate connectivity between other brain regions, thereby broadening its future impact and applications.


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 = $799,811 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90033	LOS ANGELES	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	3	2/11/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$799,811
														Subtotal = $799,811

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $812,221 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90033	LOS ANGELES	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	2	6/12/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$121,833
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90033	LOS ANGELES	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	2/18/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$690,388
														Subtotal = $812,221

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $840,254 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	3/7/2024	NEW	$757,875
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	1	4/30/2024	NEW	$82,379
														Subtotal = $840,254

Grand Total All Awards = $2,452,286

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

A multi-organoid-on-a-chip platform for interrogating human brain (dys)connectivity

Award Number: R01MH136351

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2029

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer