Oregon National Primate Research Center

Oregon National Primate Research Center
Logo of the Oregon National Primate Research Center
Aerial view (2000)
Motto
"Better Health Through Scientific Discovery"
Established1962
Research typeBiomedical on nonhuman primates
DirectorRudolf P Bohm, Jr
Staff230
LocationHillsboro, Oregon, United States
45°31′26″N 122°52′29″W / 45.524006°N 122.874824°W / 45.524006; -122.874824[1]
Campus350 acres (1.4 km2)
Operating agency
Oregon Health & Science University
Websitewww.ohsu.edu

The Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) is one of seven federally funded National Primate Research Centers[2] in the United States and has been affiliated with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) since 1998.[3] The center is located on 200 acres (0.81 km2) of land in Hillsboro, Oregon.[4] Originally known as the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center (ORPRC), it was the first of the original seven primate centers established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research center is administered and funded by the National Center for Research Resources, receiving $11 million in federal grants annually.[5]

The center maintains a colony of 4,200 non-human primates (consisting of rhesus monkeys, Japanese macaques, vervets, baboons and cynomolgus macaques),[6] cared for by 12 veterinarians and 100 full-time technicians.[7] Living conditions at the facility are inspected bi-annually by the USDA in unannounced visits. Animal rights activists have criticized the practice.

The primates are used in pure and applied biomedical research into fertility control, early embryo development, obesity, brain development and degeneration, and newly emerging viruses, especially AIDS-related agents.[8] Research projects at the facility have produced some notable findings, such as the first successful cloning of primate embryos and extraction of stem cells, which was named the number one scientific achievement of 2007 by Time.

  1. ^ "University of Oregon Medical School Primate Center". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. March 1, 1994. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  2. ^ "National Primate Research Centers". National Institutes of Health. 2006. Archived from the original (webpage) on October 4, 2006. Retrieved December 4, 2006.
  3. ^ "About ONPRC: History at a Glance". Oregon Health Sciences University. 2006. Archived from the original (webpage) on October 20, 2006. Retrieved December 4, 2006.
  4. ^ "OHSU: News Release". Archived from the original on August 5, 2012.
  5. ^ Sabatier, Julie. Monkey Business Archived June 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Willamette Week, December 13, 2006
  6. ^ "Caring for our Animals:Our primates". Oregon Health Sciences University. 2006. Archived from the original (webpage) on October 20, 2006. Retrieved December 4, 2006.
  7. ^ Caring for our animals Archived August 20, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, ONPRC.
  8. ^ "About ONPRC: Mission". Oregon Health Sciences University. 2006. Archived from the original (webpage) on October 20, 2006. Retrieved December 4, 2006.