Joshua Corbin, PhD, principal investigator at Children's National, has received a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 award from the National Institute of Mental Health to study the development and function of the paralaminar nucleus, a specialized region of the amygdala that may play a critical role in adolescent brain development. The five-year award supports a collaboration between the Corbin Laboratory of Developmental Neuroscience and the Hsiao Laboratory of Brain Circuits & Development.

The research team will investigate how the paralaminar nucleus functions in neurotypical development and establish a foundation for understanding how this brain region may be altered in neurodevelopmental disorders. To accomplish this, the investigators will use advanced research tools and approaches available through the Center for Neuroscience Research.

Why it matters

Adolescence is a pivotal period for brain development, yet many of the biological mechanisms that shape social and emotional behavior remain poorly understood.

The paralaminar nucleus is part of the brain's social and emotional circuitry across species, including humans. Unlike most neurons, cells within this region delay their maturation until adolescence, making them strong candidates for regulating the significant behavioral changes that emerge during this critical developmental period.

The new award will enable researchers to explore what Dr. Corbin describes as a relatively unexplored mechanism of brain development with broad implications for understanding adolescent brain and behavioral disorders.

"This grant will fund basic research into fundamental mechanisms of brain development," said Dr. Corbin. "As the overwhelming majority of clinical applications are built on basic research findings, this work will advance care for children by providing essential biological knowledge of how the brain develops during the critical period of adolescence."

Uncovering how this unique brain region develops and functions could provide important insights into disorders that affect brain and behavioral development.

Children's National leads the way

Children's National offers a highly collaborative research environment where scientists, clinician-scientists and clinicians work together to translate discoveries into future advances in patient care.

"The interactions and collaborations between clinicians, clinician-scientists and scientists allows for seamless flow of knowledge and findings from the bench to the bedside and back again," Dr. Corbin said.

The Corbin Laboratory of Developmental Neuroscience studies how brain circuits underlying social and emotional behaviors emerge during development and how disruptions in these processes contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders.