Monday, March 23, 2026 3/23/2026

High-resolution synaptic and functional connectivity mapping of a neural circuit architecture underlying a behavioral sequence

Award Number: R01NS121911
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: 04/15/2021
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2027

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

High-resolution synaptic and functional connectivity mapping of a neural circuit architecture underlying a behavioral sequence - The ability to generate complex motor behaviors by assembling sequences of movements is essential for purposeful actions and survival. Defects in the brain regions thought to drive such movement selection can lead to behaviors becoming abnormally repetitive (e.g. autism spectrum disorder). Yet, the neural circuit architectures that underlie this fundamental function of the nervous system remain poorly understood. A central model of a neural circuit architecture that can account for how movements are assembled into sequences has emerged from studies across multiple species. In this architecture, all movements are readied in parallel. Movements within the sequence are then selected through hierarchical suppression, whereby earlier movements suppress later ones. Prior studies have been unable to decipher how the model might arise from neuronal connectivity and activity, in part due to the overwhelming complexity of neural circuitry in rodent models. We propose to overcome this barrier through dissection of the neural circuitry underlying sequential body grooming movements in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila offer a useful compromise between complexity and tractability as they display a rich behavioral repertoire, while their brains are numerically compact and have uniquely identifiable neurons whose activity can be visualized and manipulated using powerful genetic-based techniques. Grooming is ideal for probing the circuit principles of movement sequences because it consists of a predictable sequence of distinct movements. Using this system, we previously showed that the Drosophila grooming sequence has the hallmarks of a parallel model, and established an infrastructure of tools and approaches to dissect the circuit basis of the model. The objective of this proposal is to define how the neural circuit synaptic connectivity and activity ready the different movements in parallel and then produce hierarchical suppression, two fundamental mechanisms predicted by the parallel model. In Aim 1, we will define how the circuitry is organized to enable the movements to be readied in parallel. In Aim 2, we will elucidate how hierarchical suppression controls grooming movement selection. These Aims will contribute to the first description of a neural circuit architecture that produces sequential behavior via hierarchical suppression. Such architectures are not only proposed to underlie movement sequences across species including humans, but can also provide a general mechanism by which competing parallel inputs can be integrated to produce a prioritized output. Thus, our proposed study in the fruit fly will be relevant to other animals, both for understanding how complex motor behaviors are produced and for understanding neural circuit organization and function more broadly.


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 = $0 )
2026	2025	UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MEDICAL SCIENCES CAMPUS	B622 MAIN BUILDING FLR 6	SAN JUAN	PR	00935	SAN JUAN	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	2/3/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $444,375 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MEDICAL SCIENCES CAMPUS	B622 MAIN BUILDING FLR 6	SAN JUAN	PR	00935	SAN JUAN	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	3/27/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$444,375
														Subtotal = $444,375

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $664,141 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MEDICAL SCIENCES CAMPUS	B622 MAIN BUILDING FLR 6	SAN JUAN	PR	00935	SAN JUAN	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	2	5/17/2024	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$448,847
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MEDICAL SCIENCES CAMPUS	B622 MAIN BUILDING FLR 6	SAN JUAN	PR	00935	SAN JUAN	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	2	8/14/2024	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$215,294
														Subtotal = $664,141

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $1,361,740 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MEDICAL SCIENCES CAMPUS	MAIN BLDG FLR 6 B-622	SAN JUAN	PR	00935	SAN JUAN	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	4/15/2021	NEW	$1,361,740
														Subtotal = $1,361,740

Grand Total All Awards = $2,470,256

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

High-resolution synaptic and functional connectivity mapping of a neural circuit architecture underlying a behavioral sequence

Award Number: R01NS121911

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: 04/15/2021

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2027

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer