# Revealing roles of heterosynaptic plasticity in Alzheimer's disease

> **NIH NIH K01** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $144,418

## Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease is a cognitive and neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline and neuronal dysfunction. Defects in synaptic transmission are the earliest events leading to the disease, and downregulation in both inhibitory and excitatory transmission has been observed in Alzheimer’s disease patients as well as mouse models of the disease. It remains unclear whether this downregulation is the result of two independent mechanisms acting on each type of synapse or of a single mechanism acting on both. In this project, I aim to identify an initial defect leading to the disease by systematically measuring synaptic transmission, plasticity, network excitability and cognitive behaviors of Alzheimer’s disease model mice. Successful completion of this project will lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for restoring synaptic dysfunction at the early stages of the disease. This project will serve as the basis of an independent career that will combine novel translational neuroscience research with entrepreneurial activities aiming to translate discoveries on disease mechanisms for Alzheimer’s disease into drug treatments. To achieve this, the research activities of this project will be complemented by hands on and course-based training on biomedical entrepreneurship that will generate a strategic business plan for the development of therapeutics with a successful path for commercialization in the neuroscience space. The broad range of intellectual expertise that can be found at Yale, the technical support of advisors and mentors, as well as the invaluable support by the Yale Office of Cooperative Research on strategic business development makes this a unique institution to achieve this career goals.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10690537
- **Project number:** 5K01AG078126-02
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Erika Hoyos-Ramirez
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $144,418
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-08-15 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10690537

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10690537, Revealing roles of heterosynaptic plasticity in Alzheimer's disease (5K01AG078126-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10690537. Licensed CC0.

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