Brain Connects: Building a complete map of neurons in the mouse brain
Official title: BRAIN CONNECTS: A Center for High-throughput Integrative Mouse Connectomics
Funded at Harvard University · NIH-11398062 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will develop a high-throughput method to map every connection in a mouse brain, creating an ultra-detailed atlas that could illuminate how memory and brain disorders arise.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | September 8, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $3,377,975 |
| NIH project number | 5UM1NS132250-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398062 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not a typical patient study; however, findings could inform future research and therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive disorders.
✕Less likely to help
Direct benefits to patients are not immediate; this is a foundational neuroscience project.
What this research studies
This project aims to create a near-complete, synapse-level map of the mouse brain by advancing an electron microscopy pipeline. It will image a 10 cubic millimeter volume, building datasets that may reach tens of petabytes, and test scalability to a whole brain. The team will map connections in the hippocampal formation and align findings with the Allen Institute atlas to make a detailed, shareable brain wiring map. Innovations in staining, imaging, data processing, and quality control are central to making this ambitious atlas possible. If successful, the work could provide foundational insight into brain structure relevant to memory and conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A comprehensive brain wiring map could help researchers understand memory networks and inform future studies on Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous high-resolution connectomics projects have demonstrated technical feasibility and have begun to reveal detailed brain circuits, though this scale remains cutting-edge.
Where this research is happening
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Harvard University
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lichtman, Jeff W — Harvard University
- Study coordinator: Lichtman, Jeff W
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.