Areas of Research Using Nonhuman Primates
Please browse or search the areas of research to identify and contact NPRCs engaged in your specific area of interest.
Research using nonhuman primates (NHPs) has become more important than ever in realizing progress in biomedicine. As we gain a deeper understanding of physiological systems, pathophysiological mechanisms and genetics, the need for study of certain conditions in NHPs has become increasingly evident. This new era of NHP research is in part a result of significant scientific and technological advances in genetics, immunology, endocrinology, reproductive biology, stem cell biology, biological imaging, and neuroscience.
NPRC researchers and collaborators are working to develop treatments and cures for HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, various forms of cancer, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, infertility, aging and many other conditions. The NPRCs are also engaged in research on emerging global infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola, SARS, Malaria, Zika virus, Tuberculosis, and influenzas that continue to threaten human health.
The NPRCs welcome the opportunity to partner with investigators at the NIH Institutes and Centers, and other institutions to advance the development of treatments and cures for today’s most challenging diseases.
Critical Role of Nonhuman Primates in Scientific and Medical Research
In a number of cases, the list of disease conditions under each area of research category is not all inclusive. If you do not see your specific area of interest, please contact any of the NPRCs with a “1” or “2” at the category level.
Click center for contact information.
 Additional detail exists |
1 |
Major area of emphasis |
 Category is fully expanded |
2 |
Area of emphasis |
| No arrow = No further detail | No active research in this area |
Aging1
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2
2
2
1
1
Biomarkers of aging 2
1
2
2
1
2
Caloric restriction 1
1
1
2
Cardiovascular disease 2
1
2
2
2
Cognitive dysfunction/impairment/decline 1
1
2
2
1
1
Cellular senescence 1
2
2
1
Comparative biology of aging among NHPs 2
2
1
2
Effects of fetal nutritional programming on aging-related diseases 2
1
2
1
High-fat diet 2
1
1
1
1
HIV Associated Neurological Dysfunction (HAND) 2
2
1
1
Hormone replacement therapy 1
2
1
Immune response 1
2
2
2
2
1
1
Immune response to vaccines 1
2
1
2
1
1
1
Longevity 1
1
Menopause 1
1
1
Metabolic dysfunction 1
1
1
1
Metabolic syndrome 1
1
1
1
Neurodegenerative disorders 1
1
2
2
1
1
1
Alzheimer's 1
1
2
2
1
Huntington's 1
2
1
Parkinson's 2
2
1
1
Multiple Sclerosis 2
2
Osteoarthritis 2
1
1
Osteoporosis 2
2
1
Puberty 1
1
Sarcopenia 2
1
Alcohol and drug abuse, addiction1
1
1
2
1
Allergy1
Animal welfare1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Autoimmune disorders2
2
2
2
2
2
Celiac disease/Gluten sensitive enteropathy 1
2
2
Inflammatory Bowel Disease in macaques 1
2
2
2
1
Multiple Sclerosis 2
2
Rheumatoid Arthritis 2
Type 1 diabetes 2
1
2
Behavior/Psychology1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Addiction 1
1
2
1
Applied behavior 1
2
2
2
Autism 1
2
2
1
Behavior development 1
2
2
2
1
1
1
Behavior genetics 2
2
1
1
1
Behavioral endocrinology 1
2
1
1
2
Behavioral immunology 1
2
2
2
1
Cognition 2
1
1
1
1
Communication 2
2
Emotionality 1
2
2
1
Mating/Reproduction/Sexual 1
2
1
1
1
Memory/learning 1
2
2
1
1
Mental illness 2
2
2
1
1
Social behavior 1
2
2
2
1
1
1
Social networks 1
2
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Stress 1
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Temperament 1
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Cancer2
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Carcinoma 2
Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) 1
Colon cancer 2
Pancreatic cancer 1
Viral-mediated cancers 1
2
2
2
1
AIDS-associated malignancies 1
2
1
2
Epstein-Barr virus vaccine 2
2
1
Epstein-Barr virus- associated malignancies 2
2
2
2
Leukemia 2
1
1
Lymphocryptovirus vaccine 2
1
Lymphoma 2
1
2
STLV1 - associated lymphoma 2
2
2
Child health1
2
2
2
2
1
1
AIDS 1
1
1
1
2
1
1
Maternal-fetal transmission of SHIV/HIV 1
1
2
2
2
1
Asthma 1
2
Chemotherapy-induced infertility 2
Stimulant exposure in Adolescence 1
Developmental studies of cognition 1
2
2
1
1
Enteric viral infections 1
1
2
1
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders 1
Krabbes disease 1
Vaccine vector design and safety 1
1
2
2
2
Neonatal vaccine response 1
2
2
2
Developmental sciences1
1
1
2
1
1
1
Digestive disorders1
2
2
1
1
2
AIDS 1
1
1
2
Colitis 1
2
2
2
2
Diverticulitis 2
2
2
Intestine - immune mediated diseases 2
1
1
2
1
Gluten sensitive enteropathy 1
2
2
Inflammatory Bowel Disease in macaques 1
2
2
2
2
Intestine - infectious diseases 1
2
1
1
1
2
Enteric viral infections 1
1
1
2
Liver / hepatitis 2
1
2
2
2
Endocrine1
1
1
2
2
1
1
Puberty 2
1
1
Delayed puberty 1
1
Precocious puberty 1
1
Diabetes 2
1
1
1
2
Type 1 diabetes 2
1
2
Type 2 diabetes 2
1
1
1
2
Insulin resistance 2
1
1
1
Endocrinology of aging 1
1
2
1
Hormone replacement therapy 1
2
1
1
Hyperandrogenism 1
1
Hypothalamic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism 1
1
Infertility 2
1
2
1
1
Menopause 1
1
1
Metabolic syndrome 1
1
1
1
1
Psychosocial stress 1
2
2
1
1
Reproductive endocrine disorders 1
1
1
2
Polycystic ovarian syndrome 2
1
1
2
Environmental enrichment2
1
1
1
1
2
1
Genetics1
1
1
2
1
1
1
Genomics1
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1
2
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1
Heart, Lung and Blood1
2
1
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2
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1
Cardiovascular 2
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1
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1
AIDS-related cardiovascular disease 2
2
1
Atherosclerosis 2
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2
Chemotherapy-induced leukocytopenia 2
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1
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-associated atherosclerosis 1
2
Coxsackie virus infection 2
2
Familial Hypercholesterolemia 1
2
Great Ape Heart Project 2
1
Leukemia 2
1
1
Lymphoma 2
2
1
2
Placental development and pathology 1
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1
SIV, ART and CV disease 2
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2
1
Stroke 1
Viral-mediated lymphoproliferative disorder 1
2
1
Respiratory 1
2
2
1
2
1
1
Asthma 1
2
Aerosol delivery of agents, vaccines, and theraputics 1
1
2
Aerosolizable infectious agents (Biodefense) 2
1
2
Cystic fibrosis 2
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 1
Chronic bronchitis 2
Emphysema 1
Influenza 1
2
2
1
1
Pathogenesis 1
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2
1
Influenza vaccine development 1
2
2
1
1
Respiratory syncytial virus 1
2
1
Tuberculosis 2
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2
1
2
2
1
Immunology and Infectious disease1
1
1
1
1
1
1
HIV/AIDS 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Co-infections 1
2
1
2
2
HIV/ TB 2
2
1
2
Bacteriology 1
2
2
1
2
2
2
Bacterial infections 2
2
2
1
2
1
2
Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) 1
1
2
Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) 1
Borrelia parkeri (relapsing fever) 1
Borrelia turicatae (relapsing fever) 1
Brucella melitensis (brucellosis) 1
Burkholderia mallei (glanders) 1
Burkholderia pseudomallei (meliodosis) 1
Chlamydia trachomatis 1
2
Clostridium botulinum 2
Coxiella burnetti (Q fever) 1
Haemophalis influenza type B meningitis 2
2
Listeria monocytogenes 2
2
1
2
Rickettsia prowazekii (epidemic typhus) 1
Shigellosis 2
2
2
2
Streptococcus pneumoniae 2
2
2
2
2
Tuberculosis 2
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2
1
2
2
1
Yersinia pestis (plague) 1
Vector biology 1
2
2
2
1
1
Biodefense and emerging infectious diseases 2
1
1
1
1
1
2
Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) 1
1
2
Botulinum neurotoxin / Clostridium botulinum 2
Brucella melitensis (brucellosis) 1
Burkholderia mallei (glanders) 1
Burkholderia psuedomallei (meliodosis) 1
Chikungunya virus 2
2
1
1
2
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Coxiella burnetti (Q fever) 1
Dengue virus 2
2
1
2
Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE) 1
2
Epsilon toxin (from Clostridium perfringens) 2
O'nyong O'nyong virus 1
orthopox viruses (monkeypox) 2
2
1
2
Ricin toxin (from Ricinus communis) 1
Rickettsia prowazekii (epidemic typhus) 1
Rift valley fever virus 2
2
SARS coronavirus 2
2
Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) 1
Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE) 1
2
Western equine encephalitis virus (WEE) 1
2
Yersinia pestis (plague) 1
Diagnostics 1
2
2
1
2
1
Hepatitis 2
1
2
1
1
1
Hepatitis A 1
2
Hepatitis B 1
2
Hepatitis C 2
1
1
1
1
Influenza 1
2
2
1
1
2
Parasitology 2
2
2
2
2
1
2
Chagas disease 1
2
1
Cryptosporidiosis 2
2
2
Enterocytozoon bienuesi 1
2
2
Leishmaniasis 2
2
Malaria 2
2
2
2
1
Onchocerciasis 2
Schistosomiasis 2
2
Vaccine development 1
1
1
1
2
1
1
Vector-borne diseases 2
2
2
1
2
1
1
Virology 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
HIV/AIDS 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Calicivirus 2
1
2
Chikungunya virus 2
2
1
2
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Cytomegalovirus 1
1
2
1
2
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-associated disease in organs 1
1
2
2
2
Dengue fever 2
2
1
2
Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE) 1
2
Ebola virus 1
Epstein-Barr virus 2
2
2
GBV-B (surrogate for HCV) 1
Hepatitis A 1
2
Hepatitis B 1
2
Hepatitis C 2
1
1
1
1
Herpes B virus 2
1
2
2
Influenza 1
2
2
1
1
2
Japanese Encephalitis virus 2
2
2
Marburg Virus 1
Measles 1
2
2
2
2
O'nyong O'nyong virus 1
Orthopox viruses (monkeypox) 2
2
1
2
Papilloma virus 2
2
Primate gamma-herpesviruses (KSHV, RRV/JMRV and LCV) 2
2
2
1
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) 2
2
2
Japanese macaque rhadinoviruses (JMRV) 1
Rhesus macaque rhadinovirus (RRV) 1
2
2
2
Lymphocryptoviruses (LCV) 2
2
2
1
Respiratory syncytial virus 2
2
2
2
Rift valley fever virus 2
2
Rotavirus 1
2
SARS coronavirus 2
2
2
Shingles vaccine development 2
2
2
Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Simian varicella virus 2
2
1
2
Simian T cell leukemia virus 2
2
2
Sudan virus 1
Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE) 1
2
Viral evolution 2
2
2
1
1
Western equine encephalitis virus (WEE) 1
2
West Nile virus 2
2
2
Yellow Fever 2
2
1
2
Zika virus 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Kidney disease1
2
2
Metabolism2
1
1
2
1
1
Amyloidosis 2
2
2
1
Body composition 2
1
2
1
1
Diabetes 2
1
1
1
2
Type 1 diabetes 2
1
2
Type 2 diabetes 1
1
1
2
Eating disorders 2
1
Energy expenditure 1
1
1
Familial Hypercholesterolemia 1
2
Metabolic syndrome 1
1
1
1
1
Metabolic therapeutic approaches 2
1
1
Obesity 2
1
1
1
1
Musculoskeletal2
2
2
1
2
AIDS-related wasting 2
2
1
Autoimmune disorders that affect the joints 2
Artificially induced 2
Associated with gluten sensitive enteropathy 2
Hyperandrogenemia 1
1
Lyme disease 1
Osteoarthritis 1
2
2
Osteoporosis 2
1
Sarcopenia 1
Spinal fusion 2
Neonatal diseases1
1
1
2
2
1
1
AIDS (HIV/ SIV) 1
1
1
1
2
1
1
Effects of fetal nutritional programming on neonatal health 1
1
2
1
1
Enteric viruses 1
1
2
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders 2
1
2
Fetal brain imaging 1
1
2
2
Intrauterine growth retardation 1
1
2
Krabbes disease 1
Neonatal immune system development 1
2
1
2
2
1
Neonatal vaccine development 1
1
2
2
Premature / Preterm birth 2
1
2
1
Neuroscience1
1
2
2
1
1
1
Alcohol and drug abuse, addiction 2
1
1
2
1
Alcohol 1
1
1
2
Amphetamines 2
1
Benzodiazepines 2
Cocaine 1
Functional neuroimaging and stimulant addiction 1
2
Nicotine 1
Opiates Tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis) 2
2
Autism 1
2
2
1
2
1
Behavior 1
1
1
2
1
1
1
Cognition 2
1
2
2
1
1
1
Cognitive disorders 1
2
2
2
1
2
Communication disorders 2
2
1
1
Auditory function in aging 2
2
Comparative studies of primate communication 2
Social behavior disorders 2
2
1
Memory 2
2
1
1
2
Mental illness 2
2
2
2
1
2
Affective disorders 2
2
2
1
1
Anxiety disorders 1
2
2
1
1
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder 2
1
1
Depression 2
1
1
Posttraumatic stress disorder 1
1
Alzheimer's Disease 2
1
2
2
1
Autism 1
2
2
2
2
1
Cognitive disorders 2
2
2
1
1
Functional neuroimaging and stimulant addiction 1
2
Huntington's disease 2
2
1
Schizophrenia 2
1
Social behavior disorders 2
2
1
1
Neurodevelopment 1
1
1
1
1
Neuroendocrine and neuroimmune systems 2
1
2
1
1
Neurologic disease 2
2
2
2
1
1
1
Autism 1
2
2
2
2
1
Batten's disease 2
2
Blood brain barrier biology 1
1
2
Krabbes disease 1
Lyme disease 1
Neuro AIDS 1
1
1
1
Neurodegenerative disease 1
1
2
2
2
1
1
Alzheimer's disease 1
1
2
2
1
Huntington's disease 2
2
1
Multiple Sclerosis 2
Parkinson's disease 2
2
1
1
Stroke 1
2
Therapeutics for movement disorders 1
2
1
1
2
Parkinson's 2
1
2
Dystonia 2
2
2
2
Viral-mediated encephalitis / encephalomyelitis 1
1
2
Sensory and motor systems 2
2
1
1
2
Spinal cord injury 1
1
1
Nutrition/Obesity2
1
1
2
2
1
1
Caloric restriction 1
1
1
1
Cardiovascular disease 2
2
1
2
2
2
Diabetes 2
1
1
1
1
Effects of maternal nutrition on fetal programming 2
1
1
2
1
High fat diets 2
1
1
1
1
Insulin resistance 2
1
1
1
1
Lipotoxicity 2
1
Metabolic dysfunction / syndrome 2
1
1
1
Obesity 1
1
1
1
1
Childhood obesity 2
1
1
2
Stress, food choice, and obesity 2
1
Dietary and genetic influences on obesity 2
1
1
1
1
Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency 2
Pancreatic beta cell defects 2
2
Oral/Dental2
2
2
Psychological well being1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Regenerative medicine1
2
2
1
2
1
2
Bone marrow transplantation 1
2
1
1
1
Kidney failure 2
1
Type 1 diabetes 2
1
Solid organ transplantation 2
2
1
Stem cell/induced pluripotent stem cell therapies 1
1
1
2
1
Reproductive health1
1
2
1
1
1
Assisted reproductive technologies 1
2
2
1
Fertility control/contraception 1
1
2
1
Infertility 2
1
2
1
1
Pregnancy disorders 2
2
1
Reproductive aging 1
1
Reproductive development 1
1
1
Skin2
2
Stem cell1
1
2
2
2
1
2
Embryonic stem cells for regenerative medicine 1
1
2
1
Induced pluripotent stem cell therapies 1
1
2
2
2
1
2
Hematopoietic stem cells/leukemia/transplantation 1
2
1
1
1
Mesenchymal stem cells/tissue engineering/cell therapies 1
1
1
2
1
2
Immune tolerance/transplantation 1
1
1
Transplantation2
2
1
1
Solid organ transplantation 2
1
1
1
Bone marrow transplantation 1
2
1
1
1
Immune tolerance/transplantation 2
1
1
1
Urinary1
2
2
1
Renal transplant 2
2
1
1
Vision2
2
1
1
2
Amblyopia 2
Development, plasticity of visual cortex 2
Developmental and acquired Strabismus 1
Gene therapy for Color blindness 1
Glaucoma 2
1
Macular degeneration 1
1
1
Myopia 1
1
Nystagmus 1
1
Ocular surgery 2
1
Presbyopia 2
2
Retinal physiology 1
1
1
Vestibular prosthesis for Ménière's disease 2
Women's reproductive health1
1
2
2
2
1
1
Endometriosis 1
1
2
1
Female sexual interest/arousal disorder 1
1
Fetal programming of disease 1
1
1
1
1
HIV/AIDS 1
2
1
1
1
1
2
Intra-uterine infection 1
1
1
Menopause 1
1
1
Mitochondrial diseases and correction in the oocyte 1
Papilloma virus 2
Polycystic ovary disease 2
1
1
Pregnancy 1
1
2
2
2
1
1
Complications of pregnancy 1
1
2
1
Diet and fertility/fetal development 2
1
1
1
1
Intra-uterine growth retardation 1
1
1
1
Miscarriage/pregnancy loss 1
1
1
Preeclampsia 2
2
Preterm birth 1
1
2
1
Risk factors for suboptimal pregnancy outcome 1
1
2
1
Reproduction 1
1
2
1
1
Contraception 2
1
2
1
In vitro fertilization 1
1
2
1
Infertility 2
1
2
1
1
Polycystic ovarian syndrome 2
1
1
2
Uterine fibroids 2
2