Objective
Summary: The appropriate regulation of sleep and wakefulness is a fundamental biological process that impacts human health, cognitive performance, and quality of life. However, the neural mechanisms regulating sleep/wake behavior and its associated circuits in the brain are largely unknown. Recent studies have illustrated the role of hypocretin/orexin (Hcrt) in sleep regulation, but the mechanisms that control the Hcrt system and subsequent changes in neural circuit function are still poorly described. I will take advantage of the larval zebrafish, a genetically and optically accessible model organism whose brain shares basic sleep-related structures with the human brain, in order to systematically investigate how and to what extent serotonergic (5-hydroxytrypamine, 5-HT) neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus exert effects on sleep cycles via the Hcrt system and associated downstream circuitry. Furthermore, I will disambiguate whether 5-HT neurons affect sleep by direct influence on Hcrt neuron activity or by signalling downsteam on Hcrt target neurons. These analyses require a multidisciplinary approach possible only in zebrafish. First, I will use a novel bioluminescence-based method to investigate how drugs that target the 5-HT system, alter the activity of Hcrt and 5-HT neurons in freely behaving fish. Second, in order to verify a causal relationship between activity in 5-HT and Hcrt neurons and observed behavioral changes, I will activate the same neural populations with optogenetic methods while monitoring behavior in freely behaving fish. Third, I will use the same pharmacological and optogenetic approaches to visualize the direct effects of specific subpopulations of 5-HT and Hcrt neurons on activity throughout the whole brain with functional two-photon calcium imaging. The results of these experiments will provide invaluable insights into how specific neuromodulatory systems interact with each other in order to regulate neural circuits underlying sleep.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
WC1E 6BT LONDON
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.