# Comprehensively map the mesoscale thalamic circuits that route subcortical inputs to frontal cortex

> **NIH NIH U19** · ALLEN INSTITUTE · 2022 · $322,271

## Abstract

Summary, Project 1 (Comprehensively map the mesoscale thalamic circuits that
route subcortical inputs to frontal cortex)
Frontal cortex displays rich patterns of neural activity underlying action planning, decision-making, and short-
term memory. Across the brain, the cortex is strongly coupled to, and dependent upon, the thalamus, which
represents the central hub of the forebrain. Here we map circuits involving the non-sensory ('higher-order')
thalamus, which routes input from basal ganglia, midbrain, cerebellum, and hippocampus to the frontal cortex.
Our overarching hypothesis is each subcortical input acts through the thalamus to control activity in frontal cortex
and associated behavior. This idea is formalized in a modeling framework that links a dynamical systems view
of neural computation with multi-regional neural circuits (Project 5). This model needs to be constrained by
mesoscale (region-to-region) circuit diagrams linking subcortex to frontal cortex via thalamus. However, existing
anatomical information is insufficiently detailed to guide either in vivo electrophysiology (Projects 3, 4) or develop
computational models (Project 5). Therefore, a fine-scale mesoscale map of subcortex → thalamus → frontal
cortex circuits is required to understand signaling through these regions. In this project, we combine existing
pipelines for high-throughput imaging and informatics with cutting-edge, transcellular anterograde and retrograde
viral tracing methods and new types of reporter mice. These rigorous and comprehensive experiments will create
a fine-scale map between frontal cortex and non-sensory thalamus (AIM 1); discover the subcortical inputs to
different populations of thalamocortical (TC) cells (AIM 2); and map subcortical inputs to thalamus, including
divergence and convergence at the level of both thalamic regions and individual TC cells (AIM 3). Processed
and raw image data will be registered to a standardized coordinate framework and made readily available in an
accessible manner to the community.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10294401
- **Project number:** 1U19NS123714-01
- **Recipient organization:** ALLEN INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Gabe J Murphy
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $322,271
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-01-15 → 2026-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10294401

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10294401, Comprehensively map the mesoscale thalamic circuits that route subcortical inputs to frontal cortex (1U19NS123714-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10294401. Licensed CC0.

---

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