The Wake Forest Primate Signature Program’s mission is to provide funds, monkeys, expertise, and infrastructure for conducting feasibility studies that will advance the science of CTSA network researchers. The Program maintains the Vervet Research Colony (VRC), which is the most highly characterized U.S. old world monkey population relative to pedigree, phenotype and genotype. This colony consists of approximately 300 Caribbean-origin vervet monkeys (a.k.a African Green monkeys [Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus]), and we offer neonatal to geriatric ages, as well as insulin-resistant and diabetic vervets for multidisciplinary research. The colony is managed to optimize studies related to aging, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neonatal health. In addition, we maintain historical and lifespan phenotypic data and extensive tissue and data repositories which are available for use.
Each year we provide funds to conduct pilot studies to assist investigators explore their ideas. We will consider all scientific requests that translate preclinical/clinical observations. Studies will be conducted at Wake Forest with significant technical and faculty support with no requirement for the awardee to be on-site during the study. Examples of past studies have included the assessments of:
- Safer infant anesthesia
- Novel PET imaging tracers
- Immune response of vervets to a native HIV envelope protein
- Therapeutic compound in lowering intraocular pressure
- Neonatal microbiome and its influence on health and disease
- Impact of diet and eating pattern on markers of diseases of aging
Interested investigators must provide a letter of intent (LOI) by March 22 for awards totaling $10,000 to $20,000. Funds will be made available in May and must be expended by March 31, 2020. Decisions concerning the LOI will be made by March 29.
