The Tulane National Biomedical Research Center (TNBRC) improves human and animal health through basic and applied biomedical research. Originally established in 1964 as the Delta Regional Primate Center, the 500-acre campus in Covington, Louisiana, has grown over 60 years into Tulane University’s largest and longest-running NIH-funded program and a cornerstone of the nation’s biomedical research infrastructure.

Advancing discovery at the intersection of infectious and chronic disease, scientists at the TNBRC develop vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics that address the nation’s most pressing health challenges, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Lyme disease, and emerging infectious threats such as SARS-CoV-2 and Zika virus, as well as their relationship to aging and chronic conditions.

The center houses three nationally designated programs critical to public health and national preparedness: one of seven NIH-funded National Primate Research Centers, one of twelve federally funded Regional Biocontainment Laboratories, and a federally regulated Select Agent Program supporting high-consequence pathogen research. These capabilities position the TNBRC at the forefront of efforts to understand disease and accelerate the development of medical countermeasures.

Today, the TNBRC supports more than 350 employees, including 42 faculty and five DACLAM-certified veterinarians, and collaborates with nearly 500 partners across 155 institutions worldwide. The center receives approximately $35 million in annual NIH funding, supports one in four of Tulane’s research projects, and generates an estimated $107 million annual economic impact across Louisiana.

The Tulane National Biomedical Research Center (TNBRC) has a national mission to improve human and animal health through basic and applied biomedical research.

To accomplish this mission, the TNBRC:

• Conducts basic and applied biomedical research using a range of scientifically appropriate models and methodologies to answer critical human health questions.
  
• Investigates nonhuman primate biology and diseases with particular regard to the study of human health problems.
  
• Promotes animal welfare through the use of clinical and basic science research to characterize and improve the health of nonhuman primates.
  
• Serves as a regional and national resource and center of excellence for biomedical research. 
  
• Provides training for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, veterinarians, undergraduates, veterinary students and visiting scientists.
• Educates the general public about the critical link between biomedical research and improvements in human health.