This program funds the development of probes, instrumentation, and other tools for understanding, monitoring, and manipulating
neural plasticity.
Funded projects have the potential to develop new reporters of neural plasticity, methods for manipulating cell and circuit
function associated with plasticity, and optical or electrophysiological methods for monitoring neural plasticity.
This contract will support high throughput analysis of gene expression in the developing Rhesus macaque brain, leading to
development of a publicly accessible gene expression map.
The goal is to provide a bridge between existing gene expression maps in other species, including mouse, and future efforts
in human.
The recipient of this contract will collect and prepare Rhesus macaque brain tissue for gene expression analysis and construction
of the gene expression map.
In partnership with the UC Davis/NINDS/NIMH NeuroMab Facility, the Blueprint Resource Antibodies Initiative for Neurodevelopment (BRAINdev) is funding the targeted creation and distribution
of a large number of high quality monoclonal antibodies for neurodevelopment research.
This announcement solicited applications toward the creation of Center(s) for Neurodevelopmental Antibodies (CENA), which
will evaluate the immunoreactivity of these monoclonal antibodies in the developing central and peripheral nervous systems
of multiple model organisms.
These four RFAs supported the development of biomarkers for neurodegeneration, development of novel techniques to deliver
therapeutics to the nervous system, and opportunities for postdoctoral fellows and established investigators to receive training
in neurodegeneration research.
Turner Consulting Group (TCG) of Washington, D.C. is under contract to develop a web-based clearinghouse for neuroimaging
tools, vocabularies, and databases, with an initial focus on functional MRI.
There is little uniformity among measures used to assess quality of life in patients with neurological disease, making it
difficult to compare or compile data across studies.
Dr. Richard Gershon of Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute is under contract to lead the development of a "toolbox"
of measures for assessing cognitive, sensory, and motor functions.
Supports the development of programs to provide comprehensive training in basic neuroscience, the physical and biological
bases of neuroimaging, and the application of in vivo neuroimaging techniques.
Each program has: (1) a pre-doctoral training program and (2) a short-term research education program for scientists at all
career stages.
Helps train scientists to move results from basic studies into clinical research, and to appreciate how findings in clinical
research can inform basic research.
Supports training of both basic and clinical researchers, with information flow in both directions.
Supports development and expansion of graduate courses on the neurobiology of disease. Each course is expected to cover a
broad spectrum of neurological disorders, with emphasis on common themes.
Course materials developed under the awards must be disseminated.
Supports the development of mice carrying recombinase genes that can be used to drive tissue-specific or time-specific expression
of target genes in the nervous system.
Each Blueprint core facility provides scientists pursuing research on the nervous system with a hub of expertise, resources
and opportunities for cross-disciplinary work.
Supports the creation of a publicly accessible online inventory of data, resources and tools for neuroscientists. A beta
version of the inventory is accessible from the project website.
Dr. Dan Gardner at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and team members at 14 other sites are collaborating with the
Society for Neuroscience to develop an inventory that is searchable by particulars or by concept.