Professor Matt Carter in a laboratory, wearing a mask over his mouth and working at a table with microscopes near him.
Professor Matt Carter in a laboratory, wearing a mask over his mouth and working at a table with microscopes near him.

Assistant biology professor Matt Carter has received a prestigious CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The five-year, $586,000 grant, awarded to junior faculty, will support his research into sleep and wakefulness.

His research project, “Bidirectional Control of Sleep and Wakefulness by the Hypothalamic Arcuate Nucleus,” studies two populations of neurons to better understand mammalian sleep. Carter uses cutting-edge optogenetic and pharmacogenetic methods in conjunction with electroencephalography and behavioral analyses in mice to test the necessity and sufficiency of these neurons in promoting sleep or wakefulness.

CAREER awards are the NSF’s most prestigious in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through research, education and the integration of both within the context of the mission of their organizations.

“I am so thrilled to receive the CAREER award,” Carter says. “This grant will create so many great research opportunities with students over the next several years.”