National Institute of Mental Health Director and co-chair of NIH BRAIN Initiative
Multi-Council Working Group, reviews several scientific advancements stemming from the first year NIH-funded projects.
The Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Tom Insel, is co-chair of the NIH BRAIN Initiative Multi-Council Working Group. This week, Dr. Insel recounted findings from several projects that received funding from NIH in the first year of the Initiative in his regular blog post. Synthesizing studies that use new technology to identify cell types, modulate cellular activity to unravel mechanism, and directly record or image brain activity, the blog highlights the promise of what we might accomplish with an investment focused on tool development.
Dr. Insel works closely with the directors of the nine institutes and centers participating in the NIH BRAIN Initiative, and routinely meets with programmatic, operational, and administrative staff from these institutes to determine how NIH could best support the Initiative. As we approach the second year of awards since President Obama first announced this innovative venture in 2013, the potential for scientific progress through the creation of new tools in neuroscience is palpable.