The International Brain Initiative (IBI) has announced a new round of efforts to catalyze global collaboration in neuroscience.
Established in 2017 with generous support from The Kavli Foundation, the IBI brings together national brain initiatives from Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and the USA. There is an extraordinary range of disciplines spanning cellular and molecular neuroscience, neural engineering, humans systems, and neuroethics to realize a shared, global vision of neuroscience impact.
“The IBI Executive Committee reaffirms the importance of collaborative neuroscience and education on a global scale,” says Dr. Judy Illes, newly appointed IBI Chair. “We have leveraged expertise in the brain sciences and global investments in billions of dollars, and we are excited to build on this momentum to solve the grand challenges of brain science and engineering.”
In its first five years, the IBI built an international neuroscience coalition and engaged scientific community. It generated impact through international collaborations among its member nations, global meeting summits and conferences, and publications in prominent journals. Even more importantly, the IBI helped pave the way for the formalization of new national initiatives in Australia, Canada, and South Korea, alongside the successful renewals of existing ones.
“These focus areas reflect rapid advances across neuroscience research,” notes new IBI Co-Chair Dr. Anthony Hannan. “This has also been accompanied by growing academic, government, industry, and public interest, acknowledging the increasing impact of neuroscience in areas as diverse as education, economics, and medicine. It’s an exciting and promising time and we are fortunate to be able to build on IBI’s established network, accomplishments, and ongoing priorities.”
The IBI encourages active international engagement in neuroscience through its Working Group structure and emphasis. Through the efforts of the Working Groups, the IBI will focus its efforts in three key areas that promote collaboration and learning, data sharing and governance, and operational and professional excellence.
We look forward to hearing from you as we celebrate #BrainAwarenessWeek (March 13-19, 2023), as well as your thoughts on the future of global neuroscience, new partnerships, and ideas for IBI Working Groups.
For more information, refer to the IBI’s news release and visit the IBI website!