diff --git a/e2e/src/layout/layout.prod.e2e-spec.js b/e2e/src/layout/layout.prod.e2e-spec.js
index a61af6e9e2a28239cab77959ebbe801ec887c55e..e3fcfde8465be3e1cf1251d2e72d414cd2a8b831 100644
--- a/e2e/src/layout/layout.prod.e2e-spec.js
+++ b/e2e/src/layout/layout.prod.e2e-spec.js
@@ -98,3 +98,11 @@ describe('> status panel', () => {
     expect(expectVisible).toEqual(true)
   })
 })
+
+describe('> double mat drawer', () => {
+  describe('> on user interaction', () => {
+    describe('> when user closes region chip', () => {
+      it('> mat drawers should remain closed')
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/atlasViewer/atlasViewer.template.html b/src/atlasViewer/atlasViewer.template.html
index 820e3bdffa8f54032efac9a9c7215f4126e4a575..8b4f9d41ea7f1688cccf8b1001e3bb8d19eff658 100644
--- a/src/atlasViewer/atlasViewer.template.html
+++ b/src/atlasViewer/atlasViewer.template.html
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@
                   *ngIf="dismissable"
                   (click)="clearAdditionalLayer(parcel)"
                   fontSet="fas"
+                  iav-stop="click"
                   fontIcon="fa-times">
                 </mat-icon>
               </mat-chip>
@@ -201,6 +202,7 @@
                   class="iv-custom-comp text"
                   (click)="clearSelectedRegions()"
                   fontSet="fas"
+                  iav-stop="click"
                   fontIcon="fa-times">
                 </mat-icon>
               </mat-chip>
@@ -221,6 +223,7 @@
                   </span>
                   <mat-icon (click)="previewDirective.onClick()"
                     fontSet="fas"
+                    iav-stop="click"
                     fontIcon="fa-times">
                   </mat-icon>
                 </mat-chip>
@@ -242,7 +245,8 @@
                 (click)="uiNehubaContainer.matDrawerMinor.open() && uiNehubaContainer.navSideDrawerMainSwitch.open()">
                 {{ layer.file?.name || layer.filename || 'Unknown data preview' }}
                 <mat-icon fontSet="fas" fontIcon="fa-times"
-                  (click)="preview.onClick()">
+                  (click)="preview.onClick()"
+                  iav-stop="click">
                 </mat-icon>
               </mat-chip>
             </ng-container>
diff --git a/src/res/ext/bigbrain.json b/src/res/ext/bigbrain.json
index 4af8e77006c9a108bebfed0e9d74ad39230a0efa..6e30f0d99168c97e203968a5fdff58780dd2264e 100644
--- a/src/res/ext/bigbrain.json
+++ b/src/res/ext/bigbrain.json
@@ -658,6 +658,7 @@
     {
       "@id": "juelich/iav/atlas/v1.0.0/3",
       "name": "Cortical Layers Segmentation",
+      "displayName": "Cortical layers",
       "ngId": "cortical layers",
       "originDatasets": [
         {
@@ -756,7 +757,7 @@
     {
       "@id": "juelich/iav/atlas/v1.0.0/4",
       "name": "Grey/White matter",
-      "displayName": "Isocortical/Non-isocortical structures",
+      "displayName": "Isocortex",
       "type": "parcellation",
       "ngData": null,
       "ngId": " tissue type: ",
diff --git a/src/ui/atlasLayerSelector/atlasLayerSelector.template.html b/src/ui/atlasLayerSelector/atlasLayerSelector.template.html
index f7e4daf09b8e5658f64d6d154426da0deb09e6ee..38d62308306440aeb27e9123d6616edfe99cec82 100644
--- a/src/ui/atlasLayerSelector/atlasLayerSelector.template.html
+++ b/src/ui/atlasLayerSelector/atlasLayerSelector.template.html
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
             
             <!-- text container -->
             <div class="d-flex justify-content-center">
-                <small class="iv-custom-comp text ml-1 mr-1 mt-2 text-break">{{ tileSrc.displayName || tileSrc.name }}</small>
+                <small class="iv-custom-comp text ml-1 mr-1 mt-2 text-break text-center">{{ tileSrc.displayName || tileSrc.name }}</small>
             </div>
         </div>
     </ng-template>
diff --git a/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.component.spec.ts b/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.component.spec.ts
index 7bad2e4453a1e8c9feaf24e22dd4577180b96c5c..250171ffee131e82a87a399174b5ff9db37c41e5 100644
--- a/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.component.spec.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { RenderViewOriginDatasetLabelPipe } from '../parcellationRegion/region.b
 import { By } from '@angular/platform-browser'
 import { ARIA_LABELS } from 'common/constants'
 import { NoopAnimationsModule } from '@angular/platform-browser/animations'
+import { RegionAccordionTooltipTextPipe } from '../util'
 
 const { 
   TOGGLE_SIDE_PANEL,
@@ -96,7 +97,8 @@ describe('> nehubaContainer.component.ts', () => {
           MobileControlNubStylePipe,
           ReorderPanelIndexPipe,
           SafeStylePipe,
-          RenderViewOriginDatasetLabelPipe
+          RenderViewOriginDatasetLabelPipe,
+          RegionAccordionTooltipTextPipe,
         ],
         providers: [
           provideMockStore({ initialState: defaultRootState }),
diff --git a/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.component.ts b/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.component.ts
index 64ab6f2c942dcd68be5d1a8549e1978e803582e4..06c46df2e627a487551a83aed8ccd32a62efade0 100644
--- a/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.component.ts
+++ b/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.component.ts
@@ -740,7 +740,9 @@ export class NehubaContainer implements OnInit, OnChanges, OnDestroy {
 
     /** switch side nav */
     this.subscriptions.push(
-      this.alwaysHideMinorPanel$.subscribe(flag => {
+      this.alwaysHideMinorPanel$.pipe(
+        distinctUntilChanged()
+      ).subscribe(flag => {
         if (!flag) {
           this.matDrawerMinor && this.matDrawerMinor.open()
           this.navSideDrawerMainSwitch && this.navSideDrawerMainSwitch.open()
diff --git a/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.style.css b/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.style.css
index ef857d221260faa750454650437f1aff23993a1d..e1fc904fa03c6aeac24c39616cf1f855119df0cc 100644
--- a/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.style.css
+++ b/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.style.css
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ div#scratch-pad
 
 .tab-toggle
 {
-  margin-left: -2.5rem;
+  margin-left: -2rem;
   padding-right: 0.75rem;
   margin-right: 1rem;
   text-align: right;
diff --git a/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.template.html b/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.template.html
index 7f2195f4a9982d5f4f9ca991860b763a4c15db2e..8492ba346724ac3590d73f3c5644943029736cf5 100644
--- a/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.template.html
+++ b/src/ui/nehubaContainer/nehubaContainer.template.html
@@ -85,13 +85,13 @@
       </div>
 
       <div *ngIf="viewerLoaded" class="position-absolute z-index-6 top-0 left-0 pe-none tab-toggle-container">
-        <button mat-raised-button
-          [attr.aria-label]="ARIA_LABEL_TOGGLE_SIDE_PANEL"
-          class="pe-all tab-toggle"
-          (click)="sideNavMasterSwitch.toggle()"
-          [color]="!sideNavMasterSwitch.switchState && !(alwaysHideMinorPanel$ | async) ? 'accent' : 'basic'">
-          <i class="fas" [ngClass]="sideNavMasterSwitch.switchState ? 'fa-chevron-left' : 'fa-chevron-right'"></i>
-        </button>
+        <ng-container *ngTemplateOutlet="tabTmpl; context: {
+          isOpen: sideNavMasterSwitch.switchState,
+          regionSelected: selectedRegions$ | async,
+          iavAdditionallayers: iavAdditionalLayers$ | async
+        }">
+
+        </ng-container>
       </div>
 
     </mat-drawer-content>
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@
       let-title="title"
       let-desc="desc"
       let-iconClass="iconClass"
+      let-iconTooltip="iconTooltip"
       let-iavNgIf="iavNgIf"
       let-content="content">
       <mat-expansion-panel class="mt-1 mb-1"
@@ -305,7 +306,8 @@
           </mat-panel-title>
 
           <!-- desc + icon -->
-          <mat-panel-description class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-end">
+          <mat-panel-description class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-end"
+            [matTooltip]="iconTooltip">
             <span class="mr-3">{{ desc }}</span>
             <span class="accordion-icon d-inline-flex justify-content-center">
               <i [class]="iconClass"></i>
@@ -340,6 +342,7 @@
         title: 'Explore in other templates',
         desc: regionInOtherTemplates.length,
         iconClass: 'fas fa-brain',
+        iconTooltip: regionInOtherTemplates.length | regionAccordionTooltipTextPipe : 'regionInOtherTmpl',
         iavNgIf: regionInOtherTemplates.length,
         content: exploreInOtherTmpl
       }">
@@ -368,7 +371,8 @@
       title: 'Regional features',
       desc: iavDbDirective?.dataentries?.length,
       iconClass: 'fas fa-database',
-      iavNgIf: true,
+      iconTooltip: iavDbDirective?.dataentries?.length | regionAccordionTooltipTextPipe : 'regionalFeatures',
+      iavNgIf: iavDbDirective?.dataentries?.length,
       content: regionalFeaturesTmpl
     }">
     </ng-container>
@@ -385,6 +389,7 @@
       title: 'Connectivity',
       desc: connectedCounterDir.value,
       iconClass: 'fas fa-braille',
+      iconTooltip: connectedCounterDir.value | regionAccordionTooltipTextPipe : 'connectivity',
       iavNgIf: selectedParcellation
         && selectedParcellation.hasAdditionalViewMode
         && selectedParcellation.hasAdditionalViewMode.includes('connectivity'),
@@ -528,3 +533,91 @@
     </ng-template>
   </button>
 </ng-template>
+
+
+<!-- template for rendering tab -->
+<ng-template #tabTmpl
+  let-isOpen="isOpen"
+  let-regionSelected="regionSelected"
+  let-iavAdditionallayers="iavAdditionallayers">
+
+  <!-- if mat drawer is open -->
+  <ng-template [ngIf]="isOpen" [ngIfElse]="tabTmpl_closedTmpl">
+    <ng-container *ngTemplateOutlet="tabTmpl_defaultTmpl; context: {
+      matColor: 'basic',
+      fontIcon: 'fa-chevron-left'
+    }">
+    </ng-container>
+  </ng-template>
+
+  <!-- if matdrawer is closed -->
+  <ng-template #tabTmpl_closedTmpl>
+
+    <!-- if additional layers are being shown -->
+    <ng-template [ngIf]="iavAdditionallayers?.length > 0" [ngIfElse]="tabTmpl_noAdditionalLayers">
+      <ng-container *ngTemplateOutlet="tabTmpl_defaultTmpl; context: {
+        matColor: 'accent',
+        fontIcon: 'fa-database',
+        tooltip: 'Explore dataset preview'
+      }">
+      </ng-container>
+    </ng-template>
+
+    <!-- if additional layers not not being shown -->
+    <ng-template #tabTmpl_noAdditionalLayers>
+      
+      <!-- if region selected > 0 -->
+      <ng-template [ngIf]="regionSelected?.length > 0" [ngIfElse]="tabTmpl_nothingSelected">
+        <div class="hidden"
+          iav-region
+          [region]="regionSelected[0]"
+          #tabTmpl_iavRegion="iavRegion">
+        </div>
+
+        <ng-container *ngTemplateOutlet="tabTmpl_defaultTmpl; context: {
+          matColor: 'accent',
+          customColor: tabTmpl_iavRegion.rgbString,
+          customColorDarkmode: tabTmpl_iavRegion.rgbDarkmode,
+          fontIcon: 'fa-brain',
+          tooltip: 'Explore ' + tabTmpl_iavRegion.region.name
+        }">
+
+        </ng-container>
+      </ng-template>
+
+      <!-- nothing is selected -->
+      <ng-template #tabTmpl_nothingSelected>
+        <ng-container *ngTemplateOutlet="tabTmpl_defaultTmpl; context: {
+          matColor: 'primary',
+          fontIcon: 'fa-sitemap',
+          tooltip: 'Explore regions'
+        }">
+        </ng-container>
+      </ng-template>
+    </ng-template>
+  </ng-template>
+
+  <ng-template #tabTmpl_defaultTmpl
+    let-matColor="matColor"
+    let-fontIcon="fontIcon"
+    let-customColor="customColor"
+    let-customColorDarkmode="customColorDarkmode"
+    let-tooltip="tooltip">
+    <button mat-raised-button
+      [attr.aria-label]="ARIA_LABEL_TOGGLE_SIDE_PANEL"
+      [matTooltip]="tooltip"
+      class="pe-all tab-toggle"
+      [ngClass]="{
+        'darktheme': customColorDarkmode === true,
+        'lighttheme': customColorDarkmode === false
+      }"
+      [style.backgroundColor]="customColor"
+      (click)="sideNavMasterSwitch.toggle()"
+      [color]="(!customColor && matColor) ? matColor : null">
+      
+      <span [ngClass]="{'iv-custom-comp  text': !!customColor}">
+        <i class="fas" [ngClass]="fontIcon || 'fa-question'"></i>
+      </span>
+    </button>
+  </ng-template>
+</ng-template>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ui/ui.module.ts b/src/ui/ui.module.ts
index a69e9f1aa92e4b8462c6411d7ccdcff9942050b5..c5a8b0e9b9e2fa909d49957107570d71013964e3 100644
--- a/src/ui/ui.module.ts
+++ b/src/ui/ui.module.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import {CUSTOM_ELEMENTS_SCHEMA, NgModule } from "@angular/core";
+import { CUSTOM_ELEMENTS_SCHEMA, NgModule } from "@angular/core";
 import { ComponentsModule } from "src/components/components.module";
 
 import { FormsModule, ReactiveFormsModule } from "@angular/forms";
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ import { AtlasLayerSelector } from "src/ui/atlasLayerSelector/atlasLayerSelector
 import { BrowserAnimationsModule } from "@angular/platform-browser/animations";
 import { RegionDirective } from "./parcellationRegion/region.directive";
 import { RenderViewOriginDatasetLabelPipe } from "./parcellationRegion/region.base";
+import { RegionAccordionTooltipTextPipe } from './util'
 
 @NgModule({
   imports : [
@@ -172,6 +173,7 @@ import { RenderViewOriginDatasetLabelPipe } from "./parcellationRegion/region.ba
     HumanReadableFileSizePipe,
     ReorderPanelIndexPipe,
     RenderViewOriginDatasetLabelPipe,
+    RegionAccordionTooltipTextPipe,
 
     /* directive */
     DownloadDirective,
diff --git a/src/ui/util.ts b/src/ui/util.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..65c5f21990c6933682b4a511caa8882ea31cf805
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/util.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { Pipe, PipeTransform } from "@angular/core"
+
+/**
+ * TODO find this pipe a home
+ * not too sure where this should stay
+ */
+@Pipe({
+  name: 'regionAccordionTooltipTextPipe',
+  pure: true
+})
+
+export class RegionAccordionTooltipTextPipe implements PipeTransform{
+
+  public transform(length: number, type: string): string{
+    switch (type) {
+    case 'regionInOtherTmpl': return `Region available in ${length} other reference space${length > 1 ? 's' : ''}`
+    case 'regionalFeatures': return `${length} regional feature${length > 1 ? 's' : ''} found`
+    case 'connectivity': return `${length} connections found`
+    default: return `${length} items found`
+    }
+  }
+}