I am very disturbed to learn that researchers at Rockefeller University Laboratory of Neural Systems are subjecting monkeys to inhumane and very invasive experiments designed to map the brain regions involved in facial recognition. 

There is mounting and undeniable evidence that animal experiments translate poorly to human biology. Moreover, scientists today have at their disposal a wide range of non-invasive means for studying the human brain.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have researched how the human brain rapidly distinguishes faces by working with human volunteers. As the participants viewed images of 91 different facial expressions, researchers scanned their brains with magnetoencephalography (MEG) and then applied computational methods, which allowed them to map out how the brain encodes key information involved in facial recognition. [Vida, et al. PNAS, December 27, 2016] 

In another study, scientists at Technische Universität Dresden conducted innovative human brain research that led to the discovery of new regions of the brain. By analyzing advanced human neuroimaging data and post-mortem tissue, the researchers revealed two new areas of the visual sensory thalamus. While this study did not focus on facial recognition, this pioneering work demonstrates the amazing capability to acquire new knowledge when we explore the human brain. [Muller-Axt, et al, NeuroImage, 2021; 244: 118559] 

These are just two examples of the sort of modern, human-relevant brain research that Rockefeller University should engage in. Monkeys and other animal experiments are cruel and outdated and don’t provide information to advance our understanding of brain physiology and pathology. 

I respectfully request that you end these brain-mapping experiments on monkeys and instead utilize modern, human-based research methods.