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Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) researcher Dr. Alexandra Gribizis has been awarded the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award. Dr. Gribizis aims to understand how early brain activity shapes the development of functional networks in the visual cortex before eye opening. Using a novel tree shrew model, electrophysiology, advanced imaging, and theoretical models, she will identify the mechanisms that organize visual networks during a critical developmental window before sensory experience. Understanding these processes will help reveal how early disruptions in brain activity may contribute to sensory and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr. David Fitzpatrick, Scientific Director of MPFI and postdoctoral advisor of Dr. Gribizis, described the significance of the award, “This award is a much-deserved honor for Alex’s talent, creativity, and potential. I am so proud of the hard work and scientific excellence that she has demonstrated. This award will provide support and recognition for Alex as she launches her own independent research program, and I look forward to the many exciting and impactful discoveries that result.”

Dr. Gribizis’s K99/R00 award is funded by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health for $295,352 for two years.  Additionally, she may receive $249,000 in direct costs per year for up to three years after transitioning to an independent faculty position. The purpose of the NIH K99/R00 program is to identify and support talented young investigators and enable them to launch competitive, independent research careers.