About

logo of BrainMINDS project

What is the Brain/MINDS Project?

Launched in 2014, Brain/MINDS is Japan’s Brain Mapping Project. The core institute for the project is RIKEN and it was sponsored by MEXT in 2014 and now AMED since 2015. The unique appeal of the Brain/MINDS project is its focus on mapping the brain of a small new world monkey, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). This is important because research on the non-human primate brain is essential for understanding the human brain and for developing knowledge-based strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders.

The project consists of three major groups:

  • Structural and functional mapping of the non-human primate brain (particularly the marmoset brain).
  • Development of novel, cutting-edge technologies that support brain mapping.
  • Human brain mapping and clinical research.

Collaboration among these groups will be help to determine the causal relationships between the structural/ functional damage of neuronal circuits and disease phenotypes in psychiatric and neurological disorders, and to eventually develop innovative therapeutic interventions for these diseases.

As a specimen of study, the common marmoset has the following advantages for brain mapping: i) It’s frontal lobe is more developed than in other commonly used animals and is also more similar to humans; ii) The brain is compact (approximately 8 grams) and is suitable for the comprehensive analysis of neural circuitry; iii) Marmosets can be genetically modified and manipulated.


logo of BrainMINDS data portal
The Brain/MINDS Data Portal has been launched for sharing the data and knowledge being produced in the Brain/MINDS project. The portal aims to provide integrated knowledge for public use and original data for open research and collaboration.

Data License:

The conditions for data usage are described separately for each dataset on their respective landing pages.

Ethical Statement:

Unless otherwise stated on a dataset’s landing page, all experimental procedures were approved by the Experimental Animal Committees of RIKEN or National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry. The marmosets were handled in accordance with the “Guiding Principles of the Care and Use of Animals in the Field of Physiological Science (and Neuroscience)” formulated by the Japanese Physiological Society (and the Japan Neuroscience Society). Further details regarding the experimental procedures of a particular dataset may be found on its respective landing page.

Contact Information

The portal is managed by the Brain/MINDS Database Council, RIKEN Center for Brain Science.

Brain/MINDS Data Portal URL : https://dataportal.brainminds.jp

(The former URLs https://brainminds.riken.jp and https://www.bminds.brain.riken.jp are redirected to the above)

Administrative office of the Brain/MINDS Data Portal

Secretariat for Brain/MINDS RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, JAPAN

Technical management of the Brain/MINDS Data Portal

2017-2019: Neuroinformatics Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, JAPAN
Since 2019: Connectome Analysis Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, JAPAN

For all contacts, please use Contact Us