SPOCTT 2.0: Understanding Brain Cell Types with AI and Maps
Official title: Scientific and Public Outreach on Cell Types and Taxonomies (SPOCTT) 2.0
Funded at Allen Institute · NIH-11577459 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A national brain-research program is creating user-friendly tools and references to map brain cell types, making it easier for scientists and students to explore brain cells in humans and animals.
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 | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $834,067 |
| NIH project number | 5U24NS133077-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11577459 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable (this grant is a computational resource and reference atlas project; may indirectly benefit those studying brain diseases by improving data resources)
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is unlikely; it is primarily a data and tool development project.
What this research studies
This project develops and integrates brain cell type data using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, with open web tools and reference atlases. It aims to help researchers compare their own data to established brain cell taxonomies across species, including human and mouse brains. The effort includes building a unified data platform and applying generative AI to make insights more accessible to learners and researchers at different levels. The work emphasizes removing data integration hurdles and lowering the learning curve for new users who want to use brain cell taxonomies in their studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, researchers and students will have easier access to standardized brain cell maps and tools to interpret their data.
How similar studies have gone: There is already demonstrated value from existing brain atlases and multimodal datasets, with ongoing expansion in human and primate research.
Where this research is happening
-
Allen Institute
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Miller, Jeremy a — Allen Institute
- Study coordinator: Miller, Jeremy a
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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.