The purpose of the annual, open BRAIN Initiative meeting is to continue to build the BRAIN community and provide a forum for discussing exciting scientific developments and potential new directions; and to identify areas for collaboration and research coordination.
The 8th Annual Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative Meeting was virtually held on June 21-22, 2022. This year’s meeting had over 1,400 investigators, trainees, agency representatives, members of the media, non-government organizations, and members of the public from around the world.
The meeting kicked off with Dr. John Ngai, Director of the NIH BRAIN Initiative, emphasizing the importance of virtual connection and scientific collaboration leading the way to amazing new innovations in neuroscience. These themes were highlighted throughout the two-day meeting program.
Sessions included:
Plenary Keynotes
- Peripheral Neuroimmune Interactions Drive Itch and Inflammation by Dr. Diana Bautista at University of California, Berkeley
- Neural Dynamics of Memory Formation in the Primate Hippocampus by Dr. Elizabeth Buffalo at University of Washington School of Medicine
- Rewiring Neural Circuits in Health and Disease by Dr. Kafui Dzirasa at Duke University Medical Center
Symposia Talks
- Symposium 1: A User’s Guide to the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) Resources
- Symposium 2: Toward More Diverse Participants in Human Neuroimaging Research: Opportunities and Challenges
- Symposium 3: Neural Mechanisms that Generate Internal States Across Organisms
- Symposium 4: Towards the Responsible Research and Innovation of Novel Neurotechnologies Across Domains: Considerations of Agency, Responsibility, and Access
- Symposium 5: Advancing our Understanding of the Brain and Behavior Through Connectomics
- Symposium 6: Behavioral Quantification: From Tracking to Understanding
Poster Sessions
At this year’s meeting, there were four dedicated poster sessions. Attendees explored a virtual poster gallery where over 400 posters spanned a variety of BRAIN scientific areas. During each one-hour poster session, poster presenters were available to chat and take questions on their research.
Trainee Highlight Awards
This year, 60 trainees were highlighted during the 8th Annual BRAIN Initiative Meeting. Thirty selected awardees received the opportunity to present approximately four-minute “flash” talks in concurrent sessions. An additional 30 trainees were Honorable Mention recipients and had the opportunity to present their scientific posters during the dedicated poster sessions.
Focused Topic (Specialty) Sessions
- Winners of the 2022 BRAIN Initiative Challenge
- Crafting Neuroethics Content for BRAIN Initiative Funding: Investigator Experiences
- Show Us Your BRAINs! Photo & Video Contest Winners Announcement
- The Brain Mappers Film Screening + Discussion
- Community Resources for Implementing FAIR in Your Research
For more details, read the full meeting summary on the BRAIN Initiative Alliance webpage.
The 8th Annual BRAIN Initiative Meeting was a great success! Sharing research is one of the best ways to push the fields of neuroscience and neurotechnology forward. Check out this NIH BRAIN Director’s Message to learn about Dr. Ngai’s perspectives and key takeaways on the 8th Annual BRAIN Initiative Meeting.
Missed the meeting? Register here to view on-demand meeting content.