# Association of gene expression and brain connectivity in human cerebral cortex development and adulthood

> **NIH NIH R01** · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · 2022 · $468,499

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The cell-to-cell connections that comprise the functional circuitry and global network organization of the human
brain have at their root precise spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression that differentiate brain regions, cell
types, and developmental periods. Recent discoveries have revealed highly dynamic spatiotemporal patterns of
gene expression throughout development and in several regions of the brain, but elucidating the neural
connectome – the comprehensive map of all neural connections – at multiple ages of human development has,
until recently, not been practical. Consequently, although we now have a strong understanding of transcriptional
reorganizations in the developing and adult human brain, how these dynamics mediate other key phenomena
essential for brain function, such as neural connectivity, is not well understood. As region-specific disruptions to
neural connectivity may underlie neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and autism spectrum
disorder, the association of transcriptome information with connectivity is a critical next frontier for analysis. We
therefore propose to integrate human brain connectome based on neural MRI and transcriptome data collected
across multiple timepoints in human postnatal development with unprecedented spatial resolution to implicate
candidate genes, gene expression modules, brain regions, developmental periods, and connectivity patterns
with human brain development. To accomplish this, we will develop a high-resolution connectome atlas
established with unique existing developmental and adult data as well as next-generation connectome data from
early and late childhood being acquired with other sources. This atlas will be paired with transcriptomic atlas
from the postnatal human neocortex consisting of 25 neocortical areas and will be integrated with publicly
available, less comprehensive transcriptomic data generated at the level of the single cell. Finally, we will validate
gene expression patterns and the associations we reveal, and freely disseminate atlases and datasets through
an integrated web portal.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10449504
- **Project number:** 1R01MH129981-01
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Hao Huang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $468,499
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10449504

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10449504, Association of gene expression and brain connectivity in human cerebral cortex development and adulthood (1R01MH129981-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10449504. Licensed CC0.

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