Engineering Core to advance brain science tools
Official title: Engineering Core
Funded at Harvard University · NIH-11404100 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A dedicated engineering team at Harvard will create custom hardware, software, and imaging setups to enable advanced zebrafish brain research.
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 25, 2017 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $422,640 |
| NIH project number | 5U19NS104653-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11404100 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Researchers and clinicians at participating institutions who need customized imaging hardware, behavioral rigs, or software for neuroscience experiments.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefits are unlikely for individuals not involved in neuroscience research or not using the developed tools.
What this research studies
This project provides a specialized Engineering Core that designs and builds custom devices for neuroscience experiments, including imaging rigs for larval zebrafish brains and hearts and automated pipelines for connectomics imaging. The team, led by Dr. Jeff W. Lichtman, offers hands-on engineering support to other researchers so they can push their experiments forward. The core combines an integrated lab space with an engineering expert who trains scientists to use and adapt new tools themselves. By accelerating development of cutting-edge imaging and data-analysis systems, this initiative aims to overcome technical barriers in brain science research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster advances in brain research and new tools that support understanding neurological diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous centers with engineering cores have demonstrated rapid prototyping of advanced imaging and data-analysis tools that enabled important neuroscience findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard University
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lichtman, Jeff W — Harvard University
- Study coordinator: Lichtman, Jeff W
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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.