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The greatest challenge in moving neuroscience research forward in the 21st century is recruiting, training, and retaining the brightest, rigorous, and most diverse scientists. The MBL research training courses Neurobiology and Neural Systems & Behavior, and the Summer Program in Neuroscience, Excellence, and Success provide a model for full immersion, discovery-based training while enhancing cultural,...
The brain has often been described, quite accurately, as one of the most complex objects in the natural world. Understanding its workings, to say nothing about intervening in them, is among the hardest problems in science. While this makes the challenge all the more enticing, in the short term, it acts to limit the impact that neuroscience can have on real-world problems. A comprehensive understanding...
Decoding the human brain is perhaps the most fascinating scientific challenge in the 21st century. The Human Brain Project (HBP), a 10-year European Flagship, targets the reconstruction of the brain’s multi-scale organization. It uses productive loops of experiments, medical, data, data analytics, and simulation on all levels that will eventually bridge the scales. The HBP IT architecture is unique,...
Opportunities offered by new neuro-technologies are threatened by lack of coherent plans to analyze, manage, and understand the data. High-performance computing will allow exploratory analysis of massive datasets stored in standardized formats, hosted in open repositories, and integrated with simulations.
As the pace and complexity of neuroscience data grow, an open data ecosystem must develop and grow with it to allow neuroscientists the ability to reach for new heights of discovery. However, the problems and complexities of neuroscience data sharing must first be addressed. Among the challenges facing data sharing in neuroscience, the problem of incentives, discoverability, and sustainability may...
The next generation of neuroscientists requires training and mentorship designed to meet the demands of the changing landscape of brain research. Scientists from around the world shared their perspectives on adapting 21st century training to meet these challenges and opportunities.
Brain/MINDS (Brain Mapping by Integrated Neurotechnologies for Disease Studies) is a national brain project started by Japan in 2014. With the goal of developing the common marmoset as a model animal for neuroscience, the project aims to build a multiscale marmoset brain map, develop new technologies for experimentalists, create transgenic lines for brain disease modeling, and integrate translational...
In this era of technology-driven global neuroscience initiatives, the role of the neurotechnology industry remains woefully ambiguous. Here, we explain why industry is essential to the success of these global initiatives, and how it can maximize the scientific impact of these efforts by (1) scaling and ultimately democratizing access to breakthrough neurotechnologies, and (2) commercializing technologies...
Neuroscience research is becoming increasingly more collaborative and interdisciplinary with partnerships between industry and academia and insights from fields beyond neuroscience. In the age of institutional initiatives and multi-investigator collaborations, scientists from around the world shared their perspectives on the effectiveness of large-scale collaborations versus single-lab, hypothesis-driven...
Neuroscience advances have brought important ethical questions. The recent launch of two large brain projects, the United States BRAIN Initiative and the European Union Human Brain Project, should accelerate progress in understanding the brain. This article examines neuroethics in those two projects, as well as its exploration by other efforts.
Examples from the last decade of neuroscience research point to an increase in international collaborations, big consortia, global data gathering, and the development of atlases and databases. How might global initiatives coordinate conceptual breakthroughs and promote discoveries without taking away from the freedom of individual labs? Scientists from around the world lent their voices to the discussion...
The China Brain Project covers both basic research on neural mechanisms underlying cognition and translational research for the diagnosis and intervention of brain diseases as well as for brain-inspired intelligence technology. We discuss some emerging themes, with emphasis on unique aspects.
Activists opposed to the use of animals in scientific research are increasingly dominating the public discourse and pressuring government officials to severely limit the scope of the work. Polls show that public support for animal research is in decline. Scientists must respond by engaging with the public and policymakers to explain their research and its importance and by addressing moral concerns...
Building on the long history of neuroscience in Canada, Brain Canada is accelerating the funding of transformative brain research across Canada, primarily through an innovative $240-million CAN public-private partnership with the Government of Canada and numerous partners. This article describes Brain Canada’s “One Brain One Community” approach and its views on international collaboration and the...
Successful federal initiatives share a focus on tangible success stories, constant input and guidance from scientists, participation by a wide range of funders, ongoing interest from policy makers, and a broad and effective communications network. By comparing these elements of the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative with other initiatives, we look at what...
The Allen Institute for Brain Science is a non-profit private institution dedicated to basic brain science with an internal organization more commonly found in large physics projects—large teams generating complete, accurate and permanent resources for the mouse and human brain. It can also be viewed as an experiment in the sociology of neuroscience. We here describe some of the singular differences...
Technological advances have the potential to dramatically increase our understanding of the human brain, treat and cure injury and disease, and enhance our general well-being. While advances in neuroscience hold great promise, they also raise profound ethical, legal, and social questions. In this vein, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) convened an international workshop...
A proposal for an Australian Brain Initiative (ABI) is under development by members of the Australian Brain Alliance. Here we discuss the goals of the ABI, its areas of research focus, its context in the Australian research setting, and its necessity for ensuring continued success for Australian brain research.
Global neuroscience projects are producing big data at an unprecedented rate that informatic and artificial intelligence (AI) analytics simply cannot handle. Online games, like Foldit, Eterna, and Eyewire—and now a new neuroscience game, Mozak—are fueling a people-powered research science (PPRS) revolution, creating a global community of “new experts” that over time synergize with computational efforts...
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