Respiratory Disease Center

The CNPRC Respiratory Disease Center (RDC) opened in 2014. The state-of-the-art 19,000 square-foot Center, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and UC Davis, has wet laboratories and an inhalation exposure facility that is setting the standards for research in respiratory health. Research using nonhuman primate models of lung disease may be conducted by independent investigators with the assistance of CNPRC Research Cores. Scientists and staff associated with each of the Cores provide consultation in experimental design, sample collection, and date analysis, and offer assays that utilize species-specific reagents wherever possible. Core scientists can also work with users to develop new assays to meet research needs.

We offer:

  • A wet laboratory and office footprint of 12,807 square feet, consisting of open-bay benches, 4 tissue culture rooms, shared equipment rooms, 6 faculty offices and a small conference room.
  • Inhalation Exposure Facility
  • The Pulmonary Function Laboratory provides measurements of baseline airway resistance and static lung mechanics, responsiveness testing to allergens, functional responsiveness to aerosol therapies. In coordination with Primate Medicine, bronchoscopy can also be provided.

The CNPRC has been a leader in understanding primate lung development and function for more than 30 years. It has the distinction of being the only National Primate Research Center (NPRC) with a Respiratory Diseases research unit, and has scientific expertise in airway immunity, environmental air pollutants, pediatric pulmonary disease, and asthma. The CNPRC developed the first rhesus monkey model of adult and childhood asthma using a human allergen, which has given researchers the ability to test numerous biological mechanisms and new therapies.