The Neuroscience Institute Support Transformative Advances in Neural Sciences

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The Neuroscience Institute Support Transformative Advances in Neural Sciences THE NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE SUPPORT TRANSFORMATIVE ADVANCES IN NEURAL SCIENCES One in four people will be affected by a mental or neurological disorder YOU CAN MAKE at some point in their lives. In fact, mental disorders are the leading cause of illness and disability worldwide. Understanding the enormous complexity of the human brain is the first step toward treating crippling NEW DISCOVERIES IN diseases and disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and addiction. NEUROSCIENCE Harnessing Carnegie Mellon University’s core strengths in biological sciences, cognitive science, computation, data science and engineering, POSSIBLE THROUGH: the Neuroscience Institute is uniquely positioned to advance a new kind of neuroscience. We are leading the way in developing interdisciplinary GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS TRAVEL AND ENDOWED research to understand and improve brain function in both healthy Bring the brightest graduate CONFERENCE FUNDS PROFESSORSHIPS and diseased brains, to invent and apply the next generation of neural students to CMU and help build Accelerate faculty and student Provide faculty with funding that technologies and tools, and to educate tomorrow’s neural science a student body that reflects research by facilitating fuels their teaching and advances leaders. the world where these future connections with peers and their research and will help us neuroscience trailblazers will lead exposing them to cutting-edge recruit and retain great educators THE NEUROSCIENCE Your commitment will advance the Neuroscience Institute’s work by removing financial barriers to research from around the world. and researchers. by supporting student and faculty researchers as they discover new their education. INSTITUTE IS insights into the function of the human brain and make substantial progress toward therapies and treatments for neurological INNOVATION FUNDS CENTER DIRECTORSHIP FOCUS AREA-SPECIFIC A LEADER IN disorders. Invest in current programs, Support the Neuroscience FUNDS COLLABORATIVE, new initiatives and promising Institute’s mission and help Empower promising ideas areas of inquiry, helping to keep the director address emerging in our four focus areas with INTERDISCIPLINARY the Neuroscience Institute at priorities with endowed funding. critical funding that encourages the forefront of neuroscience researchers to push boundaries RESEARCH that is education and research. and take risks. advancing the current state of brain science and developing Contact Nancy Felix, Associate Dean for Advancement neural technologies information: Mellon College of Science 412-268-6442 or [email protected] and tools, leading to effective treatments for 5000 Forbes Avenue Liz Cooper, Associate Dean for Advancement Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences neurological disorders. makepossible.cmu.edu 412-268-7713 or [email protected] 02-2020 OUR RESEARCH FOCUS As part of the Neuroscience Institute, “ The Neuroscience Institute engages The Neuroscience Institute focuses on four key research areas with the THE CENTER FOR faculty and trainees from all across the potential for revolutionary breakthroughs: THE NEURAL BASIS university, creating a truly interdisciplinary • Cognitive neuroscience • Neuro-technology and OF COGNITION (CNBC) explores the psychological and engineering designs and community. I am constantly inspired by neural mechanisms that support implements the next generation is CMU’s training our researchers and the life-changing work human perception, learning, of neural interfaces to better partnership with the memory, language, problem- understand brain function and University of Pittsburgh. they are doing. We’re asking some of the solving and social behaviors. dysfunction and addresses biggest questions of our time, with some of clinical needs by designing • Computational neuroscience new tools. It leverages the the most creative minds in the world. ” uses tools like statistics and strengths of CMU machine learning for deeper • Systems neuroscience seeks to — Barbara Shinn-Cunningham, in cognitive and understanding of neuronal understand how the diversity of Director of the Neuroscience Institute EDUCATING computational activity. discrete neural cell types enable perception and behavior. neuroscience with THE NEXT Pitt’s strengths in GENERATION OF clinical neuroscience, NEUROSCIENTISTS supporting a Along with advancing coordinated cross- neuroscience research university research and today, the Neuroscience educational program of Institute is committed to international stature. enhancing the educational experience for the graduate and undergraduate students who will become the brain science leaders of tomorrow. The Neuroscience Institute’s training programs include doctoral programs in neural computation and psychology WHAT WE’RE and an undergraduate major in neuroscience as well as minors in neuroscience and making POSSIBLE neural computation. Neuroscience researchers at CMU are asking some of the most The CMU culture encourages fundamental questions about the brain: How does it control behavior, sharing ideas and knowledge how does it develop and change, and how can we deliberately change across disciplinary lines, its behavior? fosters innovation, and empowers risk taking and By investigating these questions, we are accelerating research challenging conventions. leading to the following: The Neuroscience Institute • Brain-machine interface technology used in robotic prosthetics for builds on that solid people recovering from stroke foundation by promoting diversity in our field and • Implantable devices that can stimulate brain activity and lead to better maintaining an inclusive, treatments for Parkinson’s disease respectful environment • Next-generation hearing aid devices that filter out unwanted sounds, that values and supports all amplifying only the sounds on which the listener is focused faculty, staff and students. Graduate students In this atmosphere, new • A deeper understanding of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease work in the Mellon ideas flourish and science Institute MRI Lab. • Better methods to identify those who may be at risk for addiction by advances. exploring the social, emotional and genetic aspects of these behaviors.
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