Friday, October 3, 2025 10/3/2025

Molecular and Computational Dissection of Cold Nociception

Award Number: R01NS115209
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/15/2019
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2029

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Molecular and Computational Dissection of Cold Nociception - Project Summary / Abstract The long-term goal of this project is to elucidate the basic cellular, molecular, and physiological mechanisms of cold nociception. Thermosensory nociception is a specialized form of somatosensation, essential to the survival of all metazoans, that alerts the organism to potential environmental dangers coupled with pain sensation thereby serving as a protective mechanism for driving adaptive behavioral responses to safeguard against incipient damage. Despite this importance, the fundamental cellular, molecular, and physiological bases of cold nociception remain incompletely understood. Molecularly, transient receptor potential channels (i.e. thermoTRPs) play critical roles in thermosensation either by direct or indirect activation in response to temperature change, however, the mechanisms by which cold temperatures are transformed into ion channel structural alterations to regulate neural activity remain unclear. Similarly, relatively less is known regarding how thermoTRPs may interact with other sensory transduction receptors and downstream signaling pathways to mechanistically regulate cold detection. Neurologically, acute and chronic pain may manifest as altered thermosensory nociception whereby thermal stimuli erroneously engage nociceptive circuitry leading to neuropathic pain. Cold allodynia or hyperalgesia are well-known symptoms of inflammatory and neuropathic pain that have been associated with peripheral nerve injury, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, stroke, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, however, the mechanisms underlying cold sensitization are poorly understood. Here, we will investigate how noxious cold stimulation exerts cellular and physiological effects on membrane properties, cytoskeletal dynamics, and mechanosensory ion channel function. Further, we will characterize non-canonical roles of sensory transduction receptor signaling in regulating cold nociception. Using Drosophila as a model system, we will bi-directionally link experimental and computational approaches involving neurogenetics, high-resolution cellular imaging, in vivo functional imaging, electrophysiology, behavioral assays, and computational biophysically-grounded modeling. The project aims and outcomes of this research will significantly advance our knowledge of cold nociception by addressing three open questions: (1) How do changes in the mechanical and fluidic properties of the membrane and cytoskeleton contribute to cold-evoked behavior? (2) How do mechanoreceptor channels contribute to cold somatosensation? (3) How does a heterogeneous population of sensory transduction receptors, including non-canonical receptor channels and G- protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) contribute to cold sensation? More generally, the bi-directional integration of experimental and computational approaches in a closed-loop investigational strategy is well-suited to transform our understanding of cold nociception by elucidating potentially generalizable mechanisms of cold coding, including biophysical impacts of cold and conserved transduction machinery.


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 = $613,692 )
2025	2025	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	003	7	8/1/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$613,692
2025	2024	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	002	6	7/22/2025	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2025	2024	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	6	4/25/2025	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$146,951
2025	2023	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	5	4/25/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$146,951
														Subtotal = $613,692

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $617,412 )
2024	2024	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	6	7/30/2024	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$617,412
2024	2023	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	5	7/22/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $617,412

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $341,250 )
2023	2023	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	5	6/13/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$341,250
														Subtotal = $341,250

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $341,250 )
2022	2022	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE 3RD FL	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	4	5/31/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$341,250
														Subtotal = $341,250

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $341,068 )
2021	2021	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE 3RD FL	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	6/18/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$341,068
														Subtotal = $341,068

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $339,792 )
2020	2020	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE 3RD FL	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	002	2	6/16/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$364
2020	2020	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE 3RD FL	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	2	5/29/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$340,156
2020	2019	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE 3RD FL	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	11/13/2019	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $339,792

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $337,969 )
2019	2019	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE 3RD FL	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	7/13/2019	NEW	$337,969
														Subtotal = $337,969

Grand Total All Awards = $2,932,433

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Molecular and Computational Dissection of Cold Nociception

Award Number: R01NS115209

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/15/2019

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