Multi-Council Working Group

The BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group ensures a coordinated and focused effort across NIH. The working group includes representatives from each of the 10 Institutes and Centers that contribute to the NIH BRAIN Initiative (who may also serve as a liaison to an Advisory Council), with additional at-large members appointed to supplement the working group’s expertise. In addition, the working group includes ex officio members from DARPA, FDA, IARPA, and NSF – who comprise NIH’s federal partners involved in The BRAIN Initiative®.

The Multi-Council Working Group provides ongoing oversight of the long-term scientific vision of The BRAIN Initiative®, as endorsed by the ACD, in the context of the evolving neuroscience landscape. It also serves as a forum for initial “concept clearance,” the review of ideas for new initiatives before they become funding announcements. In addition, the working group ensures that each of the BRAIN IC Advisory Councils is informed about BRAIN initiatives, awards, and progress – a critical point as the individual IC Advisory Councils will perform the formal concept clearance and the second level of review of BRAIN Initiative applications. Finally, the working group regularly offers an assessment of the progress of current projects and programs supported by The BRAIN Initiative®.

Chair

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

Members

  • Ted Abel, Ph.D. (NIMH representative)
    University of Iowa
  • Hugo Bellen, D.V.M., Ph.D. (NICHD representative)
    Baylor College of Medicine
  • Todd Braver, Ph.D. (NCCIH representative)
    Washington University
     
  • Karl Deisseroth, M.D./Ph.D. (NIDA representative)
    Stanford University
     
  • Kafui Dzirasa, M.D./Ph.D. (at large member)
    Duke University
     
  • James Eberwine, Ph.D. (NIAAA representative)
    University of Pennsylvania
  • Jennifer French, MBA (at large member)
    Neurotech Network
     
  • David Holtzman, M.D. (NIA representative)
    Washington University School of Medicine
     
  • John Maunsell, Ph.D. (NINDS representative)
    University of Chicago
     
  • Tirin Moore, Ph.D. (NEI representative)
    Stanford University
     
  • Mala Murthy, Ph.D. (at large member)
    Princeton University
     
  • Bruce Rosen, M.D., Ph.D. (NIBIB representative)
    Massachusetts General Hospital 
  • Bryan Roth, M.D., Ph.D. (NIMH representative)
    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Dan Sanes, Ph.D. (NIDCD representative)
    New York University
  • Elba Serrano, Ph.D. (at large member)
    New Mexico State University
     
  • Sameer Sheth, M.D./Ph.D. (NINDS representative)
    Baylor College of Medicine

Ex Officio Members

  • Amy Bernard, Ph.D.
    The Kavli Foundation (BRAIN Initiative Alliance representative)
     
  • 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)
     
  • Gopal Sarma, 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

  • Kristin Dupre, Ph.D.
    Office of Neuroscience Communications and Engagement, Office of the Director, NINDS

Committee Specialist

  • Deborah Freaner
    Division of Extramural Activities, NINDS


BRAIN Multi-Council Group Meetings 

Upcoming Meetings 

The twenty-fifth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group will be on Wednesday, May 24th, 2023. Videocast will be available for live viewing and later archived.

The twenty-sixth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group will be on Tuesday, August 29th, 2023. Videocast will be available for live viewing and later archived.

The twenty-seventh meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group will be on Tuesday, February 13th, 2024. Videocast will be available for live viewing and later archived.

Previous Meetings 

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

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

See below for additional previous meeting information.

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

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

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

The nineteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Thursday, May 20th, 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 27th, 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 31st, 2020, at 6700 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD.

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

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

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

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

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

The ninth meeting (PDF, 602KB) of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Tuesday, January 30th, 2018, as a WebEx virtual meeting. 

The eighth meeting (PDF, 588KB) of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Thursday, August 17th, 2017, in Building 50 on NIH campus.

The seventh meeting (PDF, 711KB) of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Tuesday, May 16th, 2017, as a WebEx teleconference. 

The sixth meeting (PDF, 458KB)  of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Wednesday, February 15th, 2017, at the NIH Porter Neuroscience Research Center (35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892). 

The fifth meeting (PDF, 602KB) of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016, at the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC-Downtown (815 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005).

The fourth meeting (PDF, 391KB) of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Monday, February 8th, 2016, at 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD. 

The third meeting (PDF, 359KB) of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Wednesday, July 30th, 2015, at 5635 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, Rooms 508/509. 

The second meeting (PDF, 368KB) of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Wednesday, March 4th, 2015, on the NIH Campus. 

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