Multi-Council Working Group

The BRAIN Initiative Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) ensures a coordinated and focused effort across NIH and includes representatives from each of the 10 Institutes and Centers (ICs) that contribute to the NIH BRAIN Initiative, with additional at-large members appointed to supplement the working group’s expertise. In addition, the working group includes ex officio members from federal partners Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), and National Science Foundation (NSF), and one non-federal partner from the BRAIN Initiative Alliance. Several MCWG members also serve on the BRAIN Initiative Neuroethics Working Group (NEWG), a group of experts in neuroethics and neuroscience that serves to provide the NIH BRAIN Initiative with input relating to neuroethics.

The MCWG provides ongoing oversight of the long-term scientific vision of the BRAIN Initiative and regularly offers an assessment of the progress of current BRAIN projects and programs. It also serves as a forum for initial "concept clearance," the review of ideas for new initiatives before they can become funding opportunities. Importantly, the working group ensures that each of the BRAIN IC Advisory Councils is informed about BRAIN programs, awards, and progress – as the individual IC Advisory Councils will perform the formal concept clearance and secondary level of review of BRAIN Initiative applications.

BRAIN MCWG Member List

Working Group Member List

Chair

John Ngai, Ph.D.
Director, NIH BRAIN Initiative

Members

Ted Abel, Ph.D.
(NIMH representative)
University of Iowa

Todd Constable, Ph.D.
(NIBIB representative)
Yale University

Edward Chang, M.D.
(at large member)
University of California, San Franscisco

James Eberwine, Ph.D.
(NIAAA representative)
University of Pennsylvania

Jennifer French, MBA
(at large member)
Neurotech Network

Angela Laird, Ph.D.
(NIDA representative)
Florida International University

Frank Longo, M.D., Ph.D.
(NIA representative)
Stanford University

Liqun Luo, Ph.D.
(at large member)
Stanford University

Mala Murthy, Ph.D.
(at large member)
Princeton University

John Maunsell, Ph.D.
(NINDS representative)
University of Chicago

Dan Merfeld, Ph.D.
(NIDCD representative)
Ohio State University

Tirin Moore, Ph.D.
(NEI representative)
Stanford University

 

Bryan Roth, M.D., Ph.D.
(NIMH representative)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Roy Sillitoe, Ph.D.
(at large member)
Baylor College of Medicine

Tor Wager, Ph.D.
(NCCIH representative)
Dartmouth College

Kathleen M. Zackowski, Ph.D., OTR
(NICHD representative)
National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Ex Officio Members

Alyssa Picchini Schaffer, Ph.D.
(BRAIN Initiative Alliance representative)
Simons Foundation

Michelle Elekonich, Ph.D.
National Science Foundation (NSF)

David McMullen, M.D.
US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

Robert Rahmer
Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA)

Lt. Col. Adam Willis, M.D., Ph.D.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

Designated Federal Official

Susan Weiss, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Extramural Research, NIDA

Science Committee Specialist

Crystal Lantz, Ph.D.
Office of the BRAIN Director, NINDS

Committee Specialists

Deborah Freaner
Division of Extramural Activities, NINDS

Michele Pearson
Office of the BRAIN Director, NINDS

 

BRAIN MCWG Meetings

Upcoming Meetings

Friday, January 31, 2025
The thirtieth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group will be on Friday, January 31, 2025. Videocast will be available for live viewing and later archived.

Thursday, May 8, 2025
The thirty-first meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group will be on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Videocast will be available for live viewing and later archived.

Wednesday, August 27, 2025
The thirty-second meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group will be on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. Videocast will be available for live viewing and later archived.

 Past Meetings

The twenty-ninth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Thursday, August 22, 2024.

The twenty-eighth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. 

The twenty-seventh meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. 

The twenty-sixth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. 

The twenty-fifth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.

The twenty-fourth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

The twenty-third meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.

The twenty-second meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Monday, May 16, 2022.

The twenty-first meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Tuesday, January 25, 2022.

The twentieth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Friday, August 20, 2021.

The nineteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Thursday, May 20, 2021. 
At that meeting, an analysis of BRAIN Initiative investigator demographics (PDF, 983KB) spanning fiscal years 2014 through 2020 was presented, along with the new Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives.

The eighteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Wednesday, January 27, 2021.

The seventeenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Friday, August 21, 2020.

The sixteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Friday, May 22, 2020.

The fifteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Friday, January 31, 2020, at 6700 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD.

The fourteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, at 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD.

The thirteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working group was held on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD.

The twelfth meeting of the Multi-Council Working group was held on Tuesday, February 12, 2019, at the Bethesda Marriott in Bethesda, MD.

The eleventh meeting of the Multi-Council Working group was held on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, at the Porter Neuroscience Building on the NIH campus.

The tenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working group was held on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, at 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD.

The ninth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, as a WebEx virtual meeting.

The eighth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Thursday, August 17, 2017, in Building 50 on NIH campus.

The seventh meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, as a WebEx teleconference.

The sixth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Wednesday, February 15, 2017, at the NIH Porter Neuroscience Research Center (35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892).

The fifth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Tuesday, August 2, 2016, at the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC-Downtown (815 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005).

The fourth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Monday, February 8, 2016, at 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD.

The third meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Wednesday, July 30, 2015, at 5635 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, Rooms 508/509.

The second meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Wednesday, March 4, 2015, on the NIH Campus.

The first meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred Monday, August 25, 2014, on the NIH Campus.