SfN's Statement on House Appropriations & BRAIN Initiative RFI
Policy
SfN Commends House Appropriations Agreement to Increase NIH Funding in FY 20
May 9, 2019 | Society for Neuroscience
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) commends the $41.1 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the FY 20 House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill, a $2 billion increase over FY 19. The Society urges swift passage of the bill to continue a five-year trend of robust, predictable, and stable increases to NIH’s budget.
BRAIN Initiative 2.0 & Neuroethics Roadmap: Upcoming Request for Information (RFI) Deadlines
May 2019 | The National Institutes of Health
In 2018, NIH established both a new BRAIN Initiative Working Group to the ACD and a BRAIN Initiative Neuroethics Subgroup. These groups are continually reviewing new scientific progress and proposing updates to the BRAIN Initiative scientific and neuroethical strategic plans for the ACD’s consideration. Now, both the ACD and the Subgroup are requesting information from the public to guide the next stages of the BRAIN Initiative. RFI deadlines for submission are May 15, 2019 for BRAIN 2.0 and May 20, 2019 for the Neuroethics Roadmap.
Intolerance and Funding Concern Indian Scientists Ahead of Election
May 10, 2019 | Nature
A rising intolerance towards intellectuals and minority groups in India has prompted scientists there to speak out ahead of the country’s mammoth general election. More than 200 scientists have signed an open letter appealing to citizens to reject the discrimination and violence being promoted by some extremist groups.
Science in the News
Scientists Locate Brain Area Where Value Decisions Are Made
May 9, 2019 | University of California – San Diego
Neurobiologists at the University of California San Diego have pinpointed the brain area responsible for value decisions that are made based on past experiences. Senior author Takaki Komiyama says data from tens of thousands of neurons revealed an area of the brain called the retrosplenial cortex, or RSC, which was not previously known for “value-based decision-making,” a fundamental animal behavior that is impaired in neurological conditions ranging from schizophrenia to dementia and addiction.
New Molecule Maps Cerebrovascular System
May 8, 2019 | Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Brazilian and US researchers have developed a molecule called FRW that, in tests with mice, proved capable of binding to blood vessels in the brain but not in other organs when injected into the bloodstream. They used the technique to produce the first ever complete map of the vasculature of the brain, paving the way for the creation of novel diagnostic imaging strategies and therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Why Creative Experts May Be Better at Imagining the Future
May 8, 2019 | Dartmouth College
Humans use imagination a lot, whether it be thinking about what's for dinner later tonight or trying to imagine what someone else on the other side of the world may be experiencing after reading the news. As situations become farther away from reality and more distal, imagining a situation becomes more difficult. Yet, a new study finds that creativity may help us surmount these barriers to distal imagination.
Alternative Treatment for Epileptic Seizures in Children Identified
May 7, 2019 | University of Liverpool
A new study published in The Lancet, involving researchers from the University of Liverpool and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust, has identified a ‘user friendly’ treatment for the most common life-threatening neurological emergency in children.
Pigment-Producing Stem Cells Can Help Regenerate Vital Part of Nervous System
May 6, 2019 | University of Maryland
Neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) affect millions of people worldwide and occur when parts of the nervous system lose function over time. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have discovered that a type of skin-related stem cell could be used to help regenerate myelin sheaths, a vital part of the nervous system linked to neurodegenerative disorders.
