# Dynamic Striatal Astrocyte-Neuron Interactions: An Integrated Experimental and Computational Study

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2021 · $71,390

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Astrocytes comprise up to half of mammalian brain cells. Accumulating evidence from multiple brain
circuits suggests that astrocytes, through their intracellular Ca2+ signaling, regulate and modulate neuronal
activity on single-cell and network-wide levels and on a broad range of timescales—from milliseconds to days
and weeks. Altered astrocyte Ca2+ signaling has also been implicated in a variety of brain disorders, including
Huntington’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder, stroke, and epilepsy. However,
much remains to be done to uncover how astrocytes contribute to brain function. First, there is a shortage of
experimentally based, sophisticated computational approaches for astrocyte data analysis and interpretation that
could aid in guiding new, hypothesis-driven and rigorous experiments. Second, there is a dearth of data where
astrocyte-neuron interactions have been explored carefully in a single model brain circuitry with behavioral
readouts. I seek to make inroads in both of these topics by exploring astrocyte-neuron interactions in the striatum
using experimental and computational approaches.
 This study proposes to elucidate the physiological interplay between astrocytes and neurons in striatal
neural circuits. In Aim 1, experimental and computational approaches will be integrated to study in situ striatal
astrocyte Ca2+ signaling and its effect on neuronal excitability on timescales of seconds. For this aim, astrocyte
Ca2+ activity will be perturbed in situ using genetic knock-in and chemogenetic approaches. In Aim 2, an
optogenetic tool will be developed and used to transiently stimulate striatal astrocyte Ca2+ responses in situ and
in vivo, and investigate its effects on neuronal activity and behavior. The results from these will provide much
needed insight into astrocyte-neuron communication in a well-characterized brain circuit relevant to behavior
and neurological diseases. In addition, these studies will result in two sets of tools for future research: a novel
optogenetic tool for astrocyte manipulation and an experimentally-verified mathematical model of astrocyte-
neuron interactions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10173643
- **Project number:** 5F32MH123010-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Marsa Taheri
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $71,390
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10173643

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10173643, Dynamic Striatal Astrocyte-Neuron Interactions: An Integrated Experimental and Computational Study (5F32MH123010-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10173643. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*