NIH Prioritizes Brain Initiative Research

NIH has chosen a handful of research areas to fund under its Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. The agency plans to spend $40 million in fiscal 2014 to support the effort. The initial areas of research will include cataloging brain cell types, creating a structural map of the brain, developing tools to manipulate and record neural networks, linking neuronal activity to behavior, integrating computational modeling and statistics, understanding brain imaging technologies, developing mechanisms to collect human data, and disseminating knowledge and training. The goal of the initiative is to better understand interactions between single cells and complex neural circuits and ultimately improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of brain diseases.