Human Brain Database Opens Doors to Human-Relevant Brain Research

Study in a Sentence: By characterizing healthy human brain tissues from 36 patients harvested by surgeons during the course of surgery that would otherwise be wasted, the Allen Institute for Brain Science established a public database for researchers to learn critical information about the human brain as well as to obtain human brain cells for research. 

Healthy for Humans: The database offers novel information about the electrical properties, 3-D structure, and gene expression patterns of human brain cells. The information can help scientists better understand how memory, perception, emotion, and learning are regulated as well as how diseases arise from malfunctions in these processes.

Redefining Research: The database provides novel understanding of how the human brain works and how much more complex and different it is relative to animals. It also offers a resource for scientists to conduct more human-relevant research on the brain.