# Developmental cell census of human and non-human primate brain

> **NIH NIH U01** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $1,128,384

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The human brain is a highly complex biological tissue organized into hundreds of regions composed of a myriad
of cell types with distinct molecular, morphological, and physiological properties. These cells and their associated
circuits underlie our mental abilities and, when dysfunctional, lead to neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Consequently, developing an atlas of these cell types and how they differ from one another is essential for
understanding the biological processes underlying human brain development and function. In addition, because
both the general cytoarchitecture of the brain and its constituent cells are generally conserved across primates,
knowledge of how these cell types differ between species is also essential for understanding uniquely human
aspects of cognition and behavior. We therefore propose to use single cell transcriptomics to rigorously define
cell types and states in ten brain regions involved in higher cognition and behavior and across five key
developmental timepoints of human, chimpanzee (one of our closest extant relatives), rhesus macaque (the
most commonly studied Old World non-human primate), and common marmoset (an emerging New World non-
human primate model system). By generating, analyzing, and integrating these data with existing unpublished
datasets, we propose to develop a human and non-human primate cell atlas and identify shared and divergent
molecular and cellular features across species, regions, and ages. Furthermore, we will validate key aspects of
this atlas, including molecular signatures, and create a data visualization and dissemination portal.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10266105
- **Project number:** 5U01MH124619-02
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** NENAD SESTAN
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,128,384
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-17 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10266105

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10266105, Developmental cell census of human and non-human primate brain (5U01MH124619-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10266105. Licensed CC0.

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