OHSU and the National Institutes of Health, the largest public funder of biomedical research, are in formal talks about turning the nation's largest publicly funded primate research center into a sanctuary for its experimental subjects. The talks follow a February vote by the OHSU board directing President Dr. Shereef Elnahal to explore converting the primate center, which houses nearly 5,000 monkeys and employs 267 people, most of whom are animal care staff. However, Elahal stated that such a transformation would only occur if fully funded, a move that he said appears unlikely without an act of Congress. The National Institutes' decision to fund the sanctuary is expected to determine the center's survival chances. The negotiations are expected to last until August to resolve key issues, including future funding, job protections for workers and support for researchers shifting away from animal studies.