Connecting tiny brain structures to brain activity in humans and primates
Official title: Tools for integrating brain microstructure with functional dynamics in human and non-human primates
Funded at Child Mind Institute, INC. · NIH-11325436 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds software tools that link small-scale brain structure to brain activity to help researchers understand brain function and disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Child Mind Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $254,522 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH139565-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11325436 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project does not enroll patients; it relies on existing human brain images and tissue datasets contributed by research centers.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate treatment or clinical interventions should not expect direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers will extend a tool called BrainBuilder to create 3D maps of microstructure across the whole human and macaque brain, including cortex and subcortex. They will enhance Neuromaps software to bring together multi-scale imaging, molecular information, and cross-species comparisons so brain annotations can be transformed between reference spaces. The tools will let scientists link microstructural features to MRI BOLD signals and molecular data to run computer-based experiments about how structure shapes brain dynamics. This project uses existing human imaging and mesoscale tissue data rather than enrolling patients directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tools could help researchers spot structural markers of brain disorders and suggest new targets for treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Related brain atlasing and mapping projects exist, but this full-cerebrum, cross-species integration with molecular enrichment is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Child Mind Institute, INC.
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Funck, Thomas — Child Mind Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Funck, Thomas
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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.