# Yale Macaque Brain Resource

> **NIH NIH R01** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $252,632

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Because of its close phylogenetic relationship to the human, the non-human primate (NHP)
brain holds enormous potential for understanding structure, function, development and
pathology of the human brain. However, many obstacles impede studies of NHPs, among
these, significant logistic, ethical, and financial burdens. The Department of Neuroscience at
Yale houses a unique collection of brain tissue from NHP macaques, ranging in age from
embryonic to adult, which was generated over four decades, in the laboratories of Dr. Pasko
Rakic and the late Dr. Patricia Goldman-Rakic. The collection includes four Case Sets of slides:
(1) [3H]thymidine-labeled serially cut brains for cell birth dating, (2) brains labeled with tritiated
amino acids for tract tracing, (3) brains from monkeys with enucleations and selected cortical
lesions, (4) and brains from prenatally X-irradiated and ultrasound-exposed monkeys sacrificed
postnatally. A 5th Case Set is comprised of EM blocks from multiple brain regions of fetal and
postnatal monkeys. The objective of this grant is to make this unique collection an international
research resource (MacBrainResource) that is readily available to the neuroscience community
at-large. To accomplish this, we propose (1) to inventory and catalogue the collection, (2) to
restore the slides to optimal condition by re-coverslipping and in some instances re-staining
them, (3) to publicize the resource via mailings, presentations at the Society for Neuroscience
meetings and our website (MacBrainResource.org), and (4) to facilitate use of
MacBrainResource by outside investigators both on site and remotely by transmission of high
resolution images via the internet. The value of the MacBrainResource collection is
immeasurable. Primate brain research not only requires animal sacrifice but is very expensive.
Making existing NHP brain tissue available will avoid costly duplication of experiments and
unnecessary sacrifice of animals. With increasing pressure to find alternatives to primate
research, establishment of the MacBrainResource would allow researchers worldwide to
conduct primate studies without the need to sacrifice a single new animal. Proof that this
resource represents a viable and valuable alternative for de novo primate research comes from
the publication of several recent papers that utilized this material (e.g. Duque at al., 2011; 2015;
2016; Ratnanather et al. 2013; Selemon et al., 2013) as well as demand for material from
investigators all over that world. Dedicated personnel, proper cataloguing, and adequate
equipment would ensure that these slides and EM blocks are preserved for future generations
of neuroscientists to exploit, perhaps using methods not yet developed.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10071922
- **Project number:** 5R01MH113257-05
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Alvaro Duque
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $252,632
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-02-15 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10071922

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10071922, Yale Macaque Brain Resource (5R01MH113257-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10071922. Licensed CC0.

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