Michigan State University College of Human Medicine researcher Michael R. Williams, has received the National Institutes of Health Director’s Transformative Research Award.

Williams and his colleagues will receive $4.2 million over five years to develop a new molecular tool that studies how brain cells communicate. Their work opens new doors in neuroscience research and could lead to future gene therapies for brain disorders.

The competitive grant is part of the NIH’s High-Risk, High-Reward grant program which supports innovative research projects that challenge existing paradigms and work that demonstrates potential for broad impact in the field. These innovations could transform how the brain is studied and the treatments made available to those with neurologic disorders.

“The existing technology relies heavily on neurotropic viruses with drawbacks including inaccuracy and varying degrees of toxicity that don’t perform well in vivo,” said Williams, assistant professor of pediatrics and human development.