Hrvatin investigates how organisms enter the hibernation-like state called “torpor” and how their cells adapt and survive in these states. He has established an experimental paradigm for studying torpor behavior in mice; and has used it to discover the specific neurons that control entry into the state. The NIH Award — which supports unusually innovative research from early career investigators — will provide five years of funding for research projects building on that discovery, enabling his team to explore the mechanisms involved in torpor and to track their potential relationship to growth of cancer cells.