# COBRE PHASE III:  Center for Neuroplasticity at the University of Puerto Rico

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES · 2024 · $350,000

## Abstract

Project Summary (Overall section):
The UPR COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity (UPR-CCfN) was established with a COBRE phase 1 award
in 2013 as a collaboration of two main UPR campuses, the Institute of Neurobiology (UPR-MSC) and
the Department of Biology at UPR Rio Piedras (UPR-RP). The UPR-CCfN has since expanded
collaborations to include several UPR campuses, including the Departments of Biology and Chemistry
(UPRRP), Departments of Physiology, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, and Anatomy (UPR-MSC),
Department of Chemistry (UPR Humacao campus), and Universidad Central del Caribe Medical School,
a private institution in PR. During COBRE phases 1-2 the UPR-CCfN achieved several benchmarks: (1)
It has significantly enhanced ability of new and early-stage UPR researchers to conduct competitive
research in the area of neuroscience. (2) It has established a critical mass of 24 investigators. (3) It has
developed the COBRE Neuroimaging and Electrophysiology Facility (NIEF) core into a state-of-the-art
resource for the UPR-CCfN investigators and the larger UPR biomedical research community. This was
accomplished by providing outstanding specialized technical services, training, and access to state-of-
the-art instrumentation in fluorescence, confocal, and multiphoton microscopy along with
electrophysiology that has enhanced the productivity of our researchers. (4) A major accomplishment
of the NIEF was becoming a Nikon Center of Excellence (NCoE), globally renowned for its state-of-the-
art facilities for advanced research imaging. (5) The UPR-CCfN has extraordinarily increased its
biomedical research capacity as it recently took occupancy of a new state-of-the-art research
infrastructure, which includes a more than $26 million institutional investment on two floors (~40 square
feet) of the Molecular Science Research Center (MSRC); the Neuroplasticity Center (floor 6); and
Vivarium (floor 7). (6) UPR-CCfN has developed a robust business plan that will sustain and upgrade
our NIEF core facilities, provide technical support, and programmatic activities beyond COBRE Phase
3. During Phase 3 the UPR-CCfN will continue to provide a multidisciplinary cadre of investigators with
cutting-edge facilities, scientific capability, and multidisciplinary collaborations with the public and
biopharma sectors for the treatment of neurodegeneration-related diseases. The UPR-CCfN will foster
research innovation, maximize research synergy and collaborations as well as mentoring and
entrepreneurship. Our overreaching goal is that during Phase 3, the UPR-CCfN will propel into a world-
recognized Center for Neuroplasticity and Neurodegeneration with translational/therapeutic
applications.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11036881
- **Project number:** 3P30GM149367-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** JOSE Antonio LASALDE-DOMINICCI
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $350,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2028-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11036881

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11036881, COBRE PHASE III:  Center for Neuroplasticity at the University of Puerto Rico (3P30GM149367-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11036881. Licensed CC0.

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