Comprehensive brain-mapping of the marmoset with cell type detail
Official title: BRAIN CONNECTS: Comprehensive Regional Projection Map of Marmoset with Single Axon and Cell Type Resolution
Funded at Massachusetts Institute of Technology · NIH-11398168 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large NIH project will create a high-resolution map of how different brain regions connect in the common marmoset, using RNA barcodes to identify neuron types and a sequencing-based imaging method.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | September 7, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,587,503 |
| NIH project number | 5UM1NS132173-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398168 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are researchers and clinicians interested in brain circuit mapping and neurodegenerative disease models that rely on primate brain anatomy.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is unlikely since this study uses non-human primates and computational analyses, not patient involvement.
What this research studies
This project will combine experimental tracing and computational analysis to build a brain-wide connectivity atlas in the non-human primate marmoset. It will identify which neurons connect between regions and what cell types they are, by linking axonal projections with transcriptomic profiles. The effort will integrate new viral barcode techniques with traditional tracer methods and will produce web tools so researchers can explore and annotate the data. The work aims to bridge gaps between small-animal and human brain connectivity and to relate MRI signals to actual pathways. A collaboration of leading labs at MIT and partner institutions will manage data generation, integration, and dissemination.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit in the long term from more accurate models of human brain connectivity and improved understanding of brain diseases through better animal-to-human translation.
How similar studies have gone: Previous mouse brain mapping efforts show the value of comprehensive connectivity data, but this project advances into primate brain organization with cell-type specificity.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Feng, Guoping — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Feng, Guoping
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.