Brain cell knowledge base and toolset for multi-species data-driven cell types
Official title: An extensible brain knowledge base and toolset spanning modalities for multi-species data-driven cell types
Funded at Allen Institute · NIH-11357579 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to build an extensible brain cell knowledge base that combines data from mouse, human, and primates to create a public, interactive resource for understanding brain cell types.
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) | $1,914,560 |
| NIH project number | 5U24MH130918-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11357579 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable in a traditional clinical sense; the project informs research that could lead to future patient-focused breakthroughs.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefits are not the primary aim of this data infrastructure project.
What this research studies
This project will ingest and standardize data from large brain atlases to create a flexible, graph-based knowledge base that links brain cell information across species. It will use adaptive knowledge graphs and common coordinate frameworks to organize complex cell type data and spatial context. The effort starts with mouse data and expands to human and non-human primates as new data becomes available, with open access to researchers and clinicians.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients and clinicians may benefit indirectly through accelerated discoveries about brain cell types and improved understanding of brain disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous brain atlases and cell census efforts have shown that integrated, multi-species data improves scientific insight and reproducibility.
Where this research is happening
-
Allen Institute
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mufti, Shoaib — Allen Institute
- Study coordinator: Mufti, Shoaib
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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.