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 in providing translational models of human neurological, neuropsychiatric diseases and disorders, and models of healthy and impaired aging. SimCo seeks to build a crucial community effort to address 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 SimCo 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 three conferences were extraordinarily successful with increasing attendance, year over year. SimCo 2024 had ~250 attendees across all levels – technical staff, students, post-doctoral fellows, and assistant, associate and full professors. We anticipate that this community will continue to grow, attract new talent, and remain a vibrant contributor to neuroscience research.