# Tree Shrew Discovery Meeting

> **NIH NIH R13** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2024 · $15,384

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 The tree shrew shares many advantages with rodents for biomedical research, such as small body size,
short reproductive cycle, and low maintenance cost. Importantly, it is phylogenetically closer to primates than
rodents, and exhibits a more developed visual system and higher cognitive capabilities. These unique
characteristics have led to a growing interest among biomedical researchers in using tree shrews as a model
organism. With the support of an R13 grant from the NEI, two meetings were recently held to bring together the
community of established and new investigators who use tree shrews in their studies, with a focus on visual
neuroscience. These meetings have helped scientific and technical exchange and have started to build a
collaborative community of tree shrew researchers. Here the PIs propose to build on this momentum and
establish a regular Tree Shrew Discovery conference, taking place once every two years. In each of these
meetings, the organizers aim to achieve the following goals: (1) to share the latest scientific discoveries and
novel technical developments; (2) to facilitate the training of diverse predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees, as
well as independent scientists who are new to tree shrew research; and (3) to continue building a collaborative
scientific community among tree shrew researchers. These meetings will allow for efficient exchange around
topics including species characteristics, breeding and rearing, experimental procedures and techniques, and
development of viral and genetic tools. Given the many advantages it offers for biomedical research, the tree
shrew model will continue to play an important and expanding role in addressing fundamental neuroscientific
questions. To vision sciences in particular, tree shrew research will help advance our understanding of visual
system function and development, ultimately leading to therapeutic solutions for myopia, glaucoma, amblyopia,
as well as other visual disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11000401
- **Project number:** 1R13EY036712-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Jianhua Cang
- **Activity code:** R13 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $15,384
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-01 → 2029-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11000401

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11000401, Tree Shrew Discovery Meeting (1R13EY036712-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11000401. Licensed CC0.

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