Simian Collective Conference

PROJECT SUMMARY
This application is a request for funds to support a conference titled the ‘Simian Collective’ (SimCo) that highlights
nonhuman primate neuroscience research in the United States and its unique role as a translational model of
human neurological, neuropsychiatric diseases and disorders and healthy and impaired aging. Our collective
and proposed conference seeks to build a crucial community effort to address the key challenges facing the field
of nonhuman primate neuroscience in the 21st Century. The conference is strategically organized to stress that
maximizing the impact of nonhuman primate neuroscience research in the modern era necessitates
complementary goals of Science, Ethics, Education and Advocacy. Owing to the shared functional organization
of the primate brain, our simian cousins are uniquely powerful models from which we can learn many facets of
human brain function in both health and disease. This cutting-edge research must continue to grow and receive
renewed investments to prosper. The meeting will also emphasize that the phylogenetic advantages of using a
primate model, which shares many unique neural and cognitive characteristics with humans, for investigative
research must also be balanced by the crucial neuroethical considerations that inevitably emerge because of
these similarities. Furthermore, the Simian Collective will also emphasize the responsibility of the members of
the field to educate our scientific colleagues and the public about the unique importance of nonhuman primate
research and to advocate for its significance. The program of the meeting emphasizes the complementary
relationship between these core tenets and seeks to build a community initiative to promote and ensure
nonhuman primate neuroscience research in the coming years. The past two conferences were extraordinarily
successful with ~200+ attendees across all levels - student, post-doctoral fellow, assistant, associate and full
professors. We anticipate our community to grow, attract new talent, and remain a vibrant contributor to
neuroscience research.

Grant Number: 1R13NS139429-01
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Michele Basso