A shared brain cell map resource for researchers
Official title: A Community Resource for Single Cell Data in the Brain
Funded at Allen Institute · NIH-11365869 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large, collaborative project to create a detailed map of brain cell types in humans and primates to help scientists understand brain health and disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Allen Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,785,634 |
| NIH project number | 5U24MH130919-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365869 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to a specific patient group; the work informs broad brain research relevant to many conditions.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient procedures are involved in this grant.
What this research studies
This project builds extensive catalogs of brain cell types by combining data from humans, non-human primates, and mice. It will set up a coordination unit to manage standards, governance, and data sharing so researchers can access consistent information. The effort aims to make brain cell data more interoperable and usable for future studies and potential therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could accelerate discoveries about brain diseases by providing a comprehensive, standardized cell-type map for researchers to reference.
How similar studies have gone: This builds on established brain mapping efforts and aims to improve coordination and data standards across projects.
Where this research is happening
-
Allen Institute
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hawrylycz, Michael — Allen Institute
- Study coordinator: Hawrylycz, Michael
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Light Pipe Microscope for ultra-large-scale brain imaging
A new, lighter and cheaper microscope tool could help researchers image brain activity across large areas of the mouse brain in cellular detail.
-
Panoramic, minimally invasive deep-brain imaging interface for broad neural access
A new imaging tool in deep brain areas aims to let scientists see large brain regions at cellular detail with a tiny, minimally invasive probe.
-
SPOCTT 2.0: Understanding Brain Cell Types with AI and Maps
A national brain-research program is creating user-friendly tools and references to map brain cell types, making it easier for scientists and students to explore brain cells in humans and animals.
-
Large brain circuit models run on supercomputers
Aims to create and share powerful computer models of huge brain circuits to understand how thinking and behavior emerge in diseases like Alzheimer’s.
-
Spatial map of Alzheimer's cell types and disease patterns
Researchers are using advanced spatial genomics to map where different brain cells and disease markers sit in Alzheimer's and related dementias, with the goal of understanding what goes wrong in the brain.
-
Single-cell brain study of Alzheimer's disease across regions
A large NIH project will map the cellular and molecular changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease using cutting-edge single-cell genomics.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.