# Mechanisms of Somatosensory Circuit Remapping After Cortical Injury in Mice

> **NIH NIH K08** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2022 · $203,472

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Circuits in the healthy central nervous system (CNS) have the capacity for reorganization and remapping of
functionality. Growing evidence suggests that circuit remapping may contribute to a number of neurologic
diseases as well. For example, it has been widely hypothesized that remapping of circuits underlies recovery
after a focal lesion of the CNS, such as stroke. However, how specific changes in neuronal circuits mediate
improvement in function and recovery after cortical injury remains a major gap in our understanding. Here, Dr.
Zeiger will utilize advanced techniques for imaging and manipulating circuits in vivo to define the local and global
changes in neural circuits that occur following a lesion of the somatosensory cortex in mice. In Aim 1, Dr. Zeiger
will investigate the role of GABAergic parvalbumin (PV) cells in peri-lesional remapping of somatosensory
function after small lesions to the cortex. PV cells shape cortical sensory representations and regulate
experience-dependent plasticity. Dr. Zeiger hypothesizes that PV cells in peri-lesional cortex play a critical role
in functional remapping. He will test this hypothesis by 1) recording sensory-evoked responses from PV and
pyramidal cells throughout recovery using in vivo two-photon (2P) calcium imaging and 2) modulating PV cell
activity using DREADDs (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) and measuring the
effects on circuit remapping. In Aim 2, Dr. Zeiger will identify novel candidate brain regions for remapping of lost
functionalities that mediate behavioral recovery after large cortical lesions. He hypothesizes that remapping after
large lesions involves distributed networks of neurons across multiple brain regions. He will test this by
generating a quantitative atlas of all remapped whisker-responsive neurons following recovery, allowing
identification of novel candidate regions important for remapping. He will then measure changes in circuit function
in these sites over time during recovery and confirm the roles of these regions by manipulating neuronal activity
with DREADDs and testing the effect on recovery of somatosensory function.
Dr. Zeiger is currently an Assistant Professor in Neurology at the University of California – Los Angeles
(UCLA). His long-term career goal is to work as a physician-scientist investigating mechanisms of circuit
dysfunction contributing to neurologic disease. As part of this proposal he will carry out a detailed career
development plan focusing on gaining technical skills in advanced neuroscience methods for investigating
neuronal circuits, expanding his knowledge of how circuit dysfunction contributes to movement disorders, and
transitioning to an independent career. This work will be carried out at UCLA, a renowned research institution
with an extensive community of investigators in neuroscience and neurology and supported by numerous
institutional resources such as the UCLA Clinical and Transla...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10445074
- **Project number:** 5K08NS114165-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** William Abel Zeiger
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $203,472
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-15 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10445074

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10445074, Mechanisms of Somatosensory Circuit Remapping After Cortical Injury in Mice (5K08NS114165-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10445074. Licensed CC0.

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