Rui Costa thinks a lot about how to do team science effectively. Since last December, the neuroscientist has served as CEO and president of an organization devoted to teamwork and open science, Seattle’s Allen Institute.
Typical of its open-access approach, the institute recently released its “Cell Type Knowledge Explorer” and published a collection of papers showcasing its interactive map of cells in the brains of humans, mice and monkeys. And it’s aiming for impact on patients, inking a deal last spring with biotech company BioMarin to advance gene therapies.
Founded almost 20 years ago by Paul Allen, the late Microsoft co-founder, the Allen Institute focuses on neuroscience, cell science and immunology, and funds research internationally through its Frontiers Group.
The institute is the life sciences counterpart to the separate Allen Institute for AI (AI2), a Seattle-based artificial intelligence research organization and startup incubator also founded by Allen.
