The NCBR curates > 240 in vivo structural MRI scans of chimpanzee brains, 65 in vivo and 7 postmortem diffusion tensor images (DTI), > 240 postmortem fixed brain specimens, and > 75 fresh frozen brain specimens. Postmortem tissue is donated from National Primate Research Centers and Sanctuaries, as well as zoos. All postmortem brain samples come from animals that either died of natural causes or were euthanized for humane reasons due to incurable and/or painful disease.
Access to tissue samples and MRI data will be provided to all qualified scientists (faculty, postdocs, and students). To search the inventory of the NCBR collections, view the tissue and MRI database. Please complete the form below providing your name, academic title, institutional affiliation, title of project, funding source, along with a brief project description and CV. One of the NCBR directors will respond to your request.
Requests from outside the United States for MRI data transfer can be accommodated. However, international shipment of chimpanzee brain tissue is not feasible due to restrictions related to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Researchers outside of the United States that wish to use the NCBR collections may request to do so as a visiting scientist hosted by one of the NCBR directors' laboratories.
