>> WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE
27th MEETING OF THE BRAIN
MULTI-COUNCIL WORKING GROUP.
I'M A WEISS WISE AND I'M THE
DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF
EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH -- WISE.
AND I'M HERE TODAY SERVING AS A
DESIGNATED FEDERAL OFFICIAL FOR
THE BRAIN MULTI-COUNCIL WORKING
GROUP.
WE HAVE A FEW NEW PEOPLE JOINING
US TODAY SO I WANT TO BRIEFLY
REMIND YOU THAT NCWG IS NOT A
FORMAL ADVISORY GROUP UNDER THE
FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
ACTED.
IT IS IN FACT AN ADVISORY GROUP
TO THE 10 ADVISORY COUNCILS OF
THE PARTICIPATING BRAIN
INSTITUTES AND CENTERS.
IT WAS ESTABLISHED EARLY ON
BECAUSE OF THE RECOGNIZED NEED
FOR DIVERSE EXPERTISE IN VARIOUS
DISCIPLINES IN ORDER TO PROPERLY
ASSESS AND OVERSEE THE RESEARCH
THAT IS BEING UNDERTAKEN THROUGH
THE BRAIN INITIATIVE.
SOME OF OUR MEMBERS ARE FROM THE
INSTITUTE AND CENTER ADVISORY
COUNCILS AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME
AT LARGE MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN
APPOINTED TO SUPPLEMENT THE
WORKING GROUP'S EXPERTISE.
WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL EX-OFFICIO
MEMBERS, OTHER PARTNERS OF NIH'S
AND THESE ARE FROM DARPA, THE
FDA, IARPA AND NSF.
WE DEPEND ON THEM FOR THE
ONGOING OVERSIGHT OF THE
PROGRESS OF THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE, FOR FEEDBACK ON
CONCEPT CLEARANCES AND INPUT ON
OUR FUNDING PLANS DURING THE
CLOSED SESSION.
THE OPEN SESSION IS BEING
VIDEOCAST AND RECORDED AND WILL
BE ARCHIVED AND POSTED ON THE
NIH BRAIN WEBSITE.
TODAY WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN WITH
AN UPDATE ON THE NEUROETHICS
WORKING GROUP.
WE'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
YESTERDAY'S MEETING AND OTHER
ACTIVITIES, IF ANY OF YOU DIDN'T
SEE YESTERDAY'S MEETING, IT WAS
REALLY FASCINATING AND I WAS
RECOMMEND THAT YOU LISTEN TO IT
WHEN IT DOES GET POSTING.
WE'LL HEAR AFTER THAT, FROM OUR
BRAIN INITIATIVE DIRECTOR,
DR. JOHN GNAI WHO WILL DISCUSS
THE CURRENT STATE OF THE
INITIATIVE AND AFTER THAT, WE
ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE ALYSSA
PICCHINI SCHAFFER WITH US, THE
VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR
SCIENTIST AT THE SIMON'S
FOUNDATION AND SHE WILL PROVIDE
AN OVERVIEW OF THEIR CURRENT
NEUROSCIENCE PORTFOLIO.
SIMON'S FOUNDATION IS ONE OF OUR
BRAIN INITIATIVE ALLIANCE
PARTNERS AND IS THE NEW CO-CHAIR
OF THE BRAIN INITIATIVE
ALLIANCE, ALONGSIDE NIH AND WE
WELCOME ALESSA AS OUR NEW
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE
MULTI-COUNCIL WORKING GROUP.
IN ADDITION TO ALYSSA, WE ALSO
WELCOME DR. FERID MURAD FROM
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WHO IS
SERVING AS THE NIDCD
REPRESENTATIVE AND HE WILL BE
TAKING OVER FROM DR. DAN SANES
WHO HAS SERVED FOR THE LAST
THREE YEARS.
WE ALSO WELCOME ADAM WILLIS WHO
IS SERVING AS OUR NEW DARPA
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS.
AND THEY WILL BE OFFICIALLY
ACKNOWLEDGED BY JOHN DURING HIS
PRESENTATION.
FOLLOWING OPEN SESSION WE WILL
HAVE A 30-MINUTE BREAK BEFORE
CLOSED SESSION AND I'LL GO OVER
OUR CLOSED SESSION OPERATING
PROCEDURES AT THAT TIME.
WE EXPECT THAT TO START AROUND
2:30.
THERE IS A DIFFERENT ZOOM LINK
FOR THE CLOSED SESSION AND THAT
IS FOR ONLY MEMBERS OF THE
WORKING GROUP AND GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES.
A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS.
WHEN NOT SPEAKING, PLEASE MUTE
YOUR LINE.
DURING DISCUSSIONS, PLEASE MAKE
SURE THAT YOUR VIDEO IS ON AND
USE THE RAISE HAND OPTION IF YOU
HAVE QUESTIONS.
WE'LL CALL ON YOU TO UNMUTE
YOURSELF.
BECAUSE THIS IS AN OPEN SESSION,
AND IT'S BEING VIDEOCAST, WE
PREFER YOU NOT USE THE CHAT
FUNCTION FOR DISCUSSIONS SINCE
IT'S NOT VISIBLE THROUGH THE
VIDEOCAST.
AND FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK THE
OUTSTANDING TEAM WHOSE HARD WORK
GOES INTO PREPARING FOR THIS
MEETING AS WELL AS OUR COMPANION
NEUROETHICS MEETING YESTERDAY.
IN PARTICULAR, DR. KRISTIN
DUPREE, DR. NINA SHOE, MICHELLE
PEARSON AND DR. HENDRICKS.
NOT ONLY ARE THEY INCREDIBLY
EFFICIENT AND THOROUGH, BUT THEY
ARE A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH AS
MOST OF YOU ALREADY KNOW AND I'M
VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR HELP.
IF ANYONE IS HAVING TECHNICAL
PROBLEMS, PLEASE E-MAIL KRISTIN
OR DEB AND THEY AND THEIR TEAM
WILL HELP SORT THINGS OUT FOR
YOU.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER NOW TO
JOHN FARA NINA WHO WILL SUMMARIE
DISCUSSIONS FROM YESTERDAY.
>> THANK YOU, SUSAN AND IT'S
NICE TO BE HERE WITH EVERYONE.
I'M NITA, A PROFESSOR OF LAW AND
PHILOSOPHY AT DUKE UNIVERSITY
WHERE I HEAD UP THE DUKE
INITIATIVE FOR SCIENCE AND
SOCIETY AND THE CO-CHAIR OF THE
NEUROETHICS WORKING GROUP.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT BE
NEW TO THE NEUROETHICS WORKING
GROUP OR NEW TODAY, THE BRAIN
NEUROETHICS WORKING GROUP IS A
GROUP OF 10 EXPERTS IN
NEUROETHICS AND NEUROSCIENCE
THAT PROVIDE NEUROETHICS INPUT
TO BRAIN.
IT WAS FORMED IN THE SUMMER OF
2015 AND THE GROUP WHICH IS
CURRENTLY COCHAIRED BY DR. GRADY
AND MYSELF, MEETS TWICE A YEAR
IN JANUARY AND AUGUST.
AND WE HOLD TOPICAL WORKSHOPS
WHEN APPROPRIATE LIKE OUR RECENT
ONE THIS SUMMER FOCUSED ON BRAIN
DATA AND HOW TO THINK SOME OF
THE PRIVACY IMPLICATIONS AS WELL
AS WHAT A POTENTIAL PATHWAY
FORWARD WOULD BE.
THE GROUP IS CHARGED WITH
IDENTIFYING ETHICAL CHALLENGES
IN THE DEVELOPMENT OR
APPLICATION OF BRAIN RESEARCH.
IN ANTICIPATING OR PROVIDING
WAYS FOR BRAIN TO NAVIGATE THOSE
ETHICAL CHALLENGES IN PROVIDING
ETHICS CONSULTATIONS, WHEN
APPROPRIATE.
AND WE HAD PROGRAM OFFICERS
BRING US DIFFERENT ISSUES WE
MIGHT DO CONSULTATIONS ON AND
IDENTIFYING RESEARCH ETHICS
QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED
THROUGH FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
AND IN PUBLISHING GUIDANCE ON
KEY ETHICAL CHALLENGES TIED TO
BRAIN RESEARCH.
YESTERDAY'S MEETING I THOUGHT
WAS A TRULY ENRICHING
CONVERSATION.
I DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LISTEN TO
IT.
AND WE BROKE IT UP INTO TWO
DIFFERENT SESSIONS.
SO, IN THOSE TWO TOPICS, THE
FIRST SESSION WAS FOCUSING ON A
TOPIC WE HAVEN'T REALLY TAKEN ON
UNTIL NOW, WHICH WAS TO LISTEN
TO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVESES FROM
FOUR CLINICIANS AND ETHICIST
LOOKING TO SEE IF OR DISCUSS
WHETHER THERE WERE UNIQUE, IF
ANY, ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS TO
CONSIDER AROUND PEDIATRIC
NEUROSTIMULATION STUDIES.
WE ASKED THEM WHETHER THESE
CONSIDERATIONS DIFFERED FROM
GENERAL COMPLEXITIES IN WORKING
WITH PEDIATRIC POPULATIONS THAT
CAN RAISE ISSUES RELATEDDED TO,
FOR EXAMPLE, CONSIDERING THE
RISK BENEFITS APPROACH AND RATIO
FOR CHILDREN VERSES ADULTS, THE
LIMITED MARKET SIZE AND MUCH
HIGHER COST OF PEDIATRIC TRIALS,
CONSENT AND ASCENT FRAMEWORKS,
VULNERABILITY AND SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
ONE OF THE CORE THEMES OF THIS
SESSION WHILE NOT NECESSARILY
UNIQUE TO PEDIATRIC
NEUROSTIMULATION RESEARCH, WAS
THIS IDEA OF PROTECTING CHILDREN
THROUGH RESEARCH RATHER THAN
FROM RESEARCH.
THE IDEA THERE IS THAT A LOT OF
TIMES WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT
ETHICS OR TALK ABOUT ETHICS,
THEY TALK ABOUT IT AS SAFEGUARDS
AGAINST DOING SOMETHING.
HERE THE IDEA IS THAT A KEY WAY
FORWARD IS TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
HOW WE SHOULD BE DESIGNING AND
THINKING ABOUT THE RESEARCH IN
WAYS THAT BOTH ARE MORE
INCLUSIVE OF CHILDREN AND ALSO
CREATE BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN.
SO IT'S PROTECTIVE THROUGH THE
RESEARCH RATHER THAN FROM THE
RESEARCH ITSELF.
SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL TAKEAWAYS
WE HEARD WERE THAT IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOME
THOUGHTFULNESS ABOUT SOME OF THE
KINDS OF KNEE JERK INSTINCTS WE
TEND TO GO FOR IN RESEARCH, LIKE
THE IDEA FOR EXAMPLE, OF DEES
CAERATION FROM ADULTS TO
CHILDREN.
SO THE IDEA OR ASSUMPTION THAT
ADULTS SHOULD BE TESTED BEFORE
OLDER KIDS.
OLDER KIDS TESTED BEFORE YOUNGER
KIDS.
AND THE THOUGHT HERE OR TAKE
AWAY HERE WAS WE REALLY NEED TO
HAVE A JUSTIFICATION FOR DOING
THAT.
IN SOME SITUATIONS THAT MAKES
SENSE.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RISKS
ARE UNTIL THE DEESCALATION IS A
IMPORTANT WAY FORWARD, BUT THE
IDEA IS TO RATHER THAN
IMPLEMENTING THAT AS A MATTER OF
COURSE TO REALLY BE MUCH MORE
THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHEN THAT IS
APPROPRIATE AND IMPLEMENTING IT
ONLY IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
A SECOND WAS THINKING ABOUT
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THOSE WITH
DIFFICULT SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN
PEDIATRIC NEUROSTIMULATION
STUDIESES AND HOW TO IMPLEMENT
IN SETTING UP THE SUPPORT
NETWORKS TO DIVERSE TRIAL
PARTICIPANTS AND ACCESS.
WE HAD ACROSS BOTH PANELS, A LOT
OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE IDEA
OF THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE
ANCILLARY OR ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS
WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT
AROUND CLINICAL STUDIES AND
RESEARCH.
AND THE THIRD OF THE COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT EARLY AND OFTEN ON
THE DESIGN OF AN INTERVENTION
TRIAL.
YOU HEAR THAT IDEA AND THAT
MANTRA A LOT IN NEUROETHICS OR
BIOETHICAL RESEARCH ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDER
ENGAGEMENT AND ABOUT COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT BEING A KEY ASPECT OF
IT.
A LOT OF THE ISSUES WE EXPLORED
MAY NOT ULTIMATELY BE UNIQUE TO
PEDIATRIC NEUROSTIMULATION
RESEARCH BUT THE DISCUSSION
RAISED UNRESOLVED ISSUES THAT
MAY WARRANT FURTHER EXPLORATION
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE
FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATIONS TO SEE
WHETHER IT MAKE SENSE TO EXPLORE
THIS AROUND PEDIATRIC
NEUROSTIMULATION OR AS A USE
CASE TO HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE
UNRESOLVED ISSUES MORE BROADLY.
OUR SECOND SESSION WAS AN
INVITATION TO LEADING
RESEARCHERS AND ACADEMICS TO
GIVE US A FORWARD-LOOKING SCAN
OF THE HORIZON ON EMERGING
NEUROETHICS RESEARCH
OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THIS WAS INFORMED BY THE
PERSPECTIVE OF BOTH EARLY STAGE
AS WELL AS ESTABLISHED
INVESTIGATORS IN THE FIELD
GIVING US, PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN
ALL OF THE ISSUES OVER A COUPLE
OF DECADES, TO THOSE WHO WERE ON
THE CUTTING-EDGE OF NEW TOPICS
THEY ARE BRINGING INTO THE
FIELD.
AMONG THE TOPICS THAT WE
EXPLORED, WE HEARD FIRST FROM
DR. JOE FINNS ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF PERSONAL
IDENTITY.
AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH
INTERVENTIONS, WHEN THROUGH
DRUGS OR DEVICES, CAN SHIFT THAT
SENSE OF IDENTITY OR CAN CREATE
RESTORATION OF SELF
DETERMINATION AND SELF IDENTITY,
WHICH RAISES SOME INTERESTING
ETHICAL QUESTIONS.
AGAIN POTENTIALLY NOT UNIQUE
JUST TO IMPLANTED
NEUROTECHNOLOGY, A DEEP BRAIN
STIMULATION.
IT MAY BE TRUE ACROSS LOTS OF
DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF LIFE
CHANGING EVENTS.
BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT AREA FOR
CONTINUED CONVERSATION,
ESPECIALLY AS IT COMES TO AREAS
OF NEUROTECHNOLOGY.
SECOND WE HEARD FROM DR. ALEX
YOUTH AND THIS IS WORTH TUNING
IN JUST TO HEAR HIS LATEST
RESEARCH.
THIS SESSION YESTERDAY I THINK
IT SURPRISED A NUMBER OF US HOW
RAPIDLY THE FIELD IS EVOLVING
AND THE WORK HE IS DOING.
WE LEARNED ABOUT HOW FMRI
DECODING TECHNOLOGY IS SHIFTING.
WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T
EXTRAPOLATE FROM FMRI DATA ABOUT
WHAT A PERSON IS THINKING OR
MANAGING OR EVEN WHAT'S
HAPPENING DURING RESTING STATES.
AND IT'S REALLY ASTONISHING THE
PACE AT WHICH THE DATA HE WAS
PRESENTING IS BEING FUELED BY
CHANGES IN GENERATIVE AI.
THEY HAD OUT OF HIS LAB AN
IMPORTANT RESEARCH PAPER THAT
CAME OUT IN APRIL THAT INCLUDED
A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND SET OF
EXPERIMENTS TRYING TO ADDRESS
ETHICAL CONCERNS THAT FMRI
DECODING COULD PRESENT WITH SOME
PERSPECTIVE AT THAT TIME ABOUT
ASSURANCES, ABOUT SAFEGUARDS
THAT EXISTED BY LIMITATIONS IN
THE TECHNOLOGY ITSELF, WHICH
BASED ON THEIR CURRENT RESEARCH
IS NO LONGER A LIMITATION,
SHOWING AGAIN HOW QUICKLY THIS
IS SHIFTING AND CHANGING.
DR. TRYST IN MACINTOSH TOLD US
ABOUT AN ONGOING BRAIN GRANT
EXPLORING THE FACTORS THAT
SHAPES DECISIONS AND INDUSTRY
SECTORS THAT CONDUCT
NEUROTECHNOLOGY, RESEARCH AND
COMMERCIALIZATION.
SO, I WOULD WELCOME ANY
QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS.
BUT THAT GIVES YOU A GOOD SENSE,
I HOPE, OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE
HAD YESTERDAY.
>> THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS?
PLEASE USE THE HAND RAISE
FUNCTION IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO --
JOHN?
>> YES, JUST ECHOING NITA'S
COMMENTS.
THANK YOU IF ARE THAT TERRIFIC
SUMMARY.
IT REALLY WAS A VERY RICH SET OF
DISCUSSIONS.
AND IT REALLY WAS QUITE AMAZING
TO SEE HOW RAPIDLY SOME OF THESE
FIELDS PROGRESSED WHEN AN ALEX,
FOR EXAMPLE, PUBLISHED HIS PAPER
ON USING FMRI TO INFER SA MANTIC
MEANING IN SENTENCES THAT WE
THOUGHT IT WILL BE YEARS BEFORE
THEY CAN HAVE THESE ALGORITHMS
TO DO BETTER ON LESS DATA.
AND GEEZ, IT'S LIKE IT REALLY
NEEDS TO GET AHEAD OF THESE
ISSUES BECAUSE THEY WILL OVER
TAKE US IF WE ARE NOT PAYING
ATTENTION.
>> I DIDN'T EXPECT THE RESULTS
THAT HE WAS PRESENTING IN
PRELIMINARY RESULTS THEY HAD
FROM YESTERDAY.
SO JUST TO TANTALIZE YOU ALL
MORE TO TUNE IN AND LISTEN IN.
>> IT'S QUITE REMARKABLE AND
REALLY EXCITING.
WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE WE GET
AHEAD OF THIS BEAST.
>> AGREED.
>> THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
>> THANK YOU, NITA.
>> AM I UP NEXT.
>> YOU ARE.
>> I'D LIKE TO ADD TO SUSAN'S
WELCOME TO EVERYBODY HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE
TIME AND FOR THE WORK YOU DO ON
OUR BEHALF AND THE STAFF WHO
MADE THIS MEETING POSSIBLE, ALL
THE WORK THAT WENT INTO IT.
ESPECIALLY KRISTIN, DEB AND
MICHELLE.
SO LET'S SEE.
I HAVE SOME UPDATES HERE.
I'LL TRY TO BE EFFICIENT.
A LOT TO COVER.
HOW THAT LOOK TO EVERYBODY?
DOES THAT LOOK REASONABLE?
>> YES.
>> LET ME MOVE MY MENU BARS.
THEY ARE ALWAYS IN THE WAY.
GREAT, SO AGAIN WELCOME
EVERYBODY TO THIS FEBRUARY 2024
MEETING OF MULTI-COUNCIL WORKING
GROUP.
AS SUSAN MENTIONED, WE HAVE A
FEW MEMBERS ROTATING OFF.
DAN WAS THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM
THE NIDCD, THANK YOU, DAMAGE,
WHEREVER YOU ARE FOR ALL THE
GREAT IN SITU GAVE TO US.
AMY BERNARD FROM THE FOUNDATION
THAT SERVED AS OUR
REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE ALLIANCE, WHICH IS
THIS COLLECTION OF GOVERNMENT
FEDERAL AND NON FEDERAL PARTNERS
WHO HAVE BEEN PUSHING THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE.
THE BRAIN INITIATIVE ALLIANCE
HAS TWO CO-CHAIRS, THE FEDERAL
CO-CHAIR AND NON FEDERAL
CO-CHAIR.
I CONTINUE TO BE THE FEDERAL
CO-CHAIR.
AMY WAS GLACIAL ENOUGH TO TAKE
ON THAT ROLE FROM THE
NON-FEDERAL SIDE AND ABLY SERVED
IN THAT ROLE AS WELL AS A
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE MCWG AND
IT WAS A PLEASURE WORKING WITH
HER ON THAT.
AND THEN DR. SARMA, A PROGRAM
OFFICER REPRESENTING DARPA TO
ADVANCE RESEARCH PROJECTS
AGENCY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
WHEREVER YOU MAY BE.
WE WELCOME DAN MERFELD WHO
REPRESENTS NIDCD AS THE IC REP.
HE IS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEAD
AND NECK SURGERY AT OHIO STATE
IN VESTIBULAR SYSTEMS AND
COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE.
HE HAS DONE VERY INTERESTING
WORK AND PLEASED TO HAVE HIM
HERE TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS
OF NIDCD.
AND THEN WE PLACING AMY BERNARD
AS THE CO-CHAIR OF THE BIA
THROUGH ELECTION OF THE GROUP,
IS ALYSSA SCHAFFER.
THE SIMONS FOUNDATION HAS BEEN
SUPPORTING ALL KINDS OF AMAZING
NEUROSCIENCE ACROSS MULTIPLE
DOMAINS, ESPECIALLY IN THE
AUTISM RESEARCH DOMAIN AND STOOD
UP A NUMBER OF REALLY GREAT
PROGRAMS, INCLUDING FOR
EARLY-STAGE INVESTIGATORS AND
ALYSSA COMES TO US AS THEIR
VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR
SCIENTIST IN NEUROSCIENCE
COLLABORATIONS AT THE FOUNDATION
AND WE'LL HEAR FROM HER ABOUT
THE WORK THEY ARE DOING AND HOW
THEY ARE HELPING TO PUSH THE
FIELD FORWARD IN CONCERT WITH
WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE AT THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE AT NIH.
THEN I'D LIKE TO WELCOME
LIEUTENANT COLONEL ADAM WILLIS
FROM DARPA.
A PROGRAM MANAGER IN THE
BIOLOGICAL TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE
AT DARPA.
HIS SPECIFIC RESEARCH INTERESTS
ARE IN BRAIN MECHANICS BRAIN
INJURY, HE IS A CRITICAL CARE
PHYSICIAN AND HE IS AN ASSOCIATE
PROFESSOR OF NEUROLOGY AT THE
UNIFORM SERVICES UNIVERSITY AS
WELL AS ADJUNCT ASSISTANT
PROFESSOR AT MICHIGAN STATE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE
PERSPECTIVES YOU CAN GIVE TO US,
BOTH AS A PHYSICIAN AND
INTENSIVIST BUT ALSO
REPRESENTING DARPA, ONE OF OUR
VERY VALUED PARTNERS.
WE HAVE HAD TWO RECENT ADDITIONS
TO THE OFFICE OF BRAIN DIRECTOR,
GINA SAMPSON COMES TO US AFTER
ABOUT 20 PLUS YEARS OF FEDERAL
SERVICE IN THE FORESTRY AND SHE
WILL TAKE ON COMMUNICATION
OUTREACH AND TAKING THE LEAD ON
ORGANIZING OUR ANNUAL BRAIN
INITIATIVE CONFERENCE.
AND I'M SURE YOU WILL AND CAN
LOOK FORWARD TO A TERRIFIC
CONFERENCE COMING UP LATER IN
JUNE.
ALSO I'D LIKE TO WELCOME ALICE
CLAYTON WHO COMES TO US WHO
JOINS US AS A SENIOR ADVISOR IN
THE OFFICE OF THE BRAIN
DIRECTOR.
SHE HAS OVER 14 YEARS OF
EXPERIENCE IN RESEARCH FUNDING
ECOSYSTEM.
SHE SPENT OVER 11 YEARS AT THE
SIMONS FOUNDATION WHERE SHE
STOOD UP SOME REALLY GREAT
PROGRAMS THERE.
FOLLOWED BY ABOUT A YEAR PLUS AT
THE SERGEI BRENT FAMILY
FOUNDATION WHERE SHE SPEARHEADED
THE FRAMEWORK FOR NEW RESEARCH
INITIATIVE IN NEURODEVELOPMENTAL
CONDITIONS.
SHE ACTUALLY COMES BACK TO THE
NIH FAMILY HAVING PREVIOUSLY
BEEN HERE AS A AAA S FELLOW AT
AIMH.
WELCOME TO YOU BOTH AND I'M SURE
YOU WILL SEE MORE FROM THEM IN
THE TIME TO COME.
THE BRAIN INITIATIVE IS
ORGANIZED THROUGH THE WORK OF
NINE PROJECT TEAMS LISTED HERE
COVERING THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
JUST A SMALL ASTERISK NEXT TO A
BIG NAME, DR. J CHURCHILL WHICH
MANY MAY KNOW AS A CO-LEAD IN
TRAINING INCLUSION AND EQUITY
PROGRAM.
HE WILL BE ROTATING OFF TO TAKE
ON OTHER CHALLENGES.
HE WILL STILL BE INVOLVED IN THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE AND IN
TRAINING, BUT STEPPING ASIDE AND
WILL BE ANNOUNCING A NEW PROGRAM
CO-LEAD SHORTLY.
AND IT TAKES NOT JUST A VILLAGE
BUT A CITY OVER 100 PLUS FOLKS
FROM ACROSS THE 10 BRAIN ICs.
WE CANNOT THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH.
I'M SURE BEFORE I GET OFF THIS
CALL, SOMEBODY WILL SAY, YOU
MISSED MY NAME AND FOR THAT, I
APOLOGIZE BUT IT REALLY HAS BEEN
A TREMENDOUS EFFORT FROM MANY,
MANY PEOPLE ACROSS NIH.
SO JUST A QUICK NOTE ABOUT THE
BUDGET.
BRAIN HAS ENJOYED REALLY ROBUST
FUNDING THANKS TO OUR MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS THAT STARTED IN 2014
WITH A 46 MILLION DOLLAR
INVESTMENT TO NIH AND GROWN
STEADILY.
FISCAL YEAR 2023 LAST YEAR, WE
HAD A BUDGET OF 680 MILLION
DOLLARS.
OUR FUNDING COMES IN TWO
SOURCES, THE BASE FUNDING, THE
APPROPRIATIONS MADE TO THE
FUNDING TO OUR 10 PARTICIPATING
BRAIN INSTITUTES AND CENTERS.
AND THEN THE 21ST CENTURY CURES
ACT PROVIDE MONEY ON THAT THAT
HELPED FUEL THIS REMARKABLE
15-FOLD INCREASE IN OUR FUNDING
LEVELS.
AS ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE AWARE,
WE ARE UNDER A CONTINUING
RESOLUTION WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL
BE RESOLVED WITH A PERMANENT
BUDGET COMING MARCH 8 AND WE ARE
JUST WAITING GUARDEDLY
OPTIMISTICALLY ABOUT WHERE OUR
BUDGET WILL LAND FOR FY24.
SO WE WILL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON
AS IT HAPPENS.
SUFFICE IT TO SAY BECAUSE OF THE
REMARKABLE ADVANCES AND
DISCOVERIES MADE BY OUR FUNDED
INVESTIGATORS, WE ARE HOPEFUL
THAT CONGRESS WILL CONTINUE TO
GIVE US ROBUST SUPPORT WE
ENJOYED OVER THE YEARS.
SO A COUPLE OF UPDATES ABOUT
FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE WAS A RECENT ELECTION OF
NEW MEMBERS SO NATIONAL ACADEMY
OF MEDICINE.
WE ARE VERY PLEASED AND PROUD
THAT FIVE MEMBERS ARE IN VARIOUS
WAYS SHAPES OR FORMS ASSOCIATED
WITH THE BRAIN INITIATIVE.
DR. RASHEED BRASHEAR WAS
RECOGNIZED FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS
FOR BIOSENSORS AND DIAGNOSTICS.
DR. MIKE CHANG, DIRECTOR OF THE
NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE, IS
RECOGNIZED FOR HIS PIONEERING
APPLICATIONS OF INFORMATICS TO
OPTHA MOLOGIY AND ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE.
DR. PHENGITE BROAD INSTITUTE WAS
RECOGNIZED FOR HIS WORK IN
DEVELOPING GENETIC MODELS FOR
NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS.
DR. ZENNING NAME PROBABLY
FAMILIAR TO ALL OF YOU HERE, HAS
BEEN A PIONEER IN LEADING THE
EFFORTS TO THE DEVELOP LARGE
SCALE MAPS OF BRAIN CELL TYPES
AND CONNECTIONS AND SHE IS AT
THE ALLEN INSTITUTE.
AND DR. ZHANG RECOGNIZED FOR
CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNDERSTANDING
EPIGENETICS AND THE MODEL
ENZYMES.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU.
AND JUST THE OTHER DAY,
DR. BRUCE TROMBERG, DIRECTOR OF
NIBIB, WAS RECOGNIZED BY HIS
INDUCTION INTO THE NATIONAL
ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING.
NOW IN ADDITION TO BEING AN
EXPERT IN PLATONICS, AS MANY CAN
APPRECIATE OVER THE LAST FEW
YEARS, THOSE HOME TESTS THAT WE
USED TO SEE IF WE HAVE BEEN
EXPOSED TO SARS-COV-2 VIRUS,
THESE WERE DEVELOPED AS PART OF
THE RADx PROGRAM AT NIDID AND
WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE
TODAY WITHOUT THESE GREAT
EFFORTS AND THIS IS A GREAT
RECOGNITION OF THOSE
CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND THEN FINALLY, DR. EVE MARTYR
WAS AWARDED THE NATIONAL MEDAL
OF SCIENCE, HIGHEST AWARD GIVEN
TO SCIENTISTS IN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA.
EVE HAS BEEN A PIONEER IN
ESTABLISHING MODEL SYSTEMS USING
INVERTEBRATE MODEL SYSTEMS AND
HAS BEEN ABLE TO SHOW WITH THIS,
GENERAL PRINCIPLES ABOUT THE
CONSTRUCTION OF NEUROCIRCUITS,
PLASTICITY OF NEUROCIRCUITS AND
SHOWING US THAT NATURE HAS FOUND
WITHIN A GIVEN CIRCUIT,
DIFFERENT WAYS TO COME UP WITH
THE SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO TAKE
THESE COMPUTATIONS AND WHAT WAS
REALLY QUITE REMARKABLE IS HOW
BROADLY APPLICABLE THE
PRINCIPLES SHE DISCOVERED TO ALL
NEUROCIRCUITS ACROSS THE ANIMAL
KINGDOM.
AND SO, EVE HAS BEEN A
LONGSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR TO THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE.
SHE WAS A LONGSTANDING MEMBER OF
THIS GROUP, THE MULTI-COUNCIL
WORKING GROUP AND ALSO INVOLVED
IN DRAFTING THE BRAIN 2025
REPORT WHICH HAS BEEN OUR
GUIDING DOCUMENT SINCE THE
INCEPTION OF THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EVE.
OKAY, A COUPLE OF EVENTS RECAP
AND COMING EVENTS.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, NEI HOSTED A
WORKSHOP AND VISUAL
NEUROPLASTICITY EXPLORING
CONCEPTS THAT THE RESEARCHERS
CAN USE TO LEARN ABOUT MECHANISM
PLASTICITY IN THE NERVOUS
SYSTEM.
THERE WERE FOUR WORKSHOPS
SESSIONS THAT INVOLVED OR
FEATURED SEVERAL BRAIN FUNDED
INVESTIGATORS AND IT SHOWS A
WONDERFUL INTERSECTION OF WHAT
WE'RE DOING HERE AT BRAIN AND
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE CIRCUIT
MECHANISMS AND PLASTICITY
UNDERLYING THESE DIFFERENT
SYSTEMS.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE OR
SCAN THE QR CODE, YOU CAN SEE
THE RECORDED VERSION THERE.
COMING UP, THE ALLEN INSTITUTE
IS HOSTING A MODELING SOFTWARE
WORKSHOP.
THIS IS FUNDED IN PART BY THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE THROUGH OUR
DISSEM NATION PROGRAM.
AND HERE THE PARTICIPANTS WILL
LEARN HOW TO USE OPEN-SOURCE
SOFTWARE AND MODELING TOOLS TO
BUILD, SIMULATION AND DIGITALIZE
MODELS OF BRAIN CIRCUITS.
YOU CAN APPLY, APPLICATION
DEADLINE IS MARCH 15.
IT'S OPEN TO UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS
AND OTHER SCIENTISTS AS WELL.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE ARE
REALLY EXCITED BY THE UPCOMING
BRAIN INITIATIVE ANNUAL
CONFERENCE WHICH WILL BE OUR
TENTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE.
SO PLEASE JOIN US.
IT WILL BE A HYBRID EVENT.
THE IN-PERSON COMPONENT WILL
TAKE PLACE IN NORTH BETHESDA.
THE MAIN CONFERENCE WILL TAKE
PLACE FROM JUNE 17 AND JUNE 18
AND THERE WILL BE AN EARLY
CAREER EVENT THE SUNDAY EVENING
BEFORE.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS, SCAN THE QR
CODE AND GO ON TO OUR WEBSITE.
REGISTER THERE.
IT'S SHAPING UP TO BE A TERRIFIC
CONFERENCE AND THERE WILL BE
MORE INFORMATION COMING AS WE
SORT OUT THE FINAL DETAILS.
OKAY, SO LET ME GIVE YOU SOME
UPDATES ON WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP
TO OR WHAT OUR FUNDED FOLKS HAVE
BEEN UP TO.
AND I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT HERE THE
RECENT ADVANCES IN THE RAREST
BRAIN FUNDED CONSORTIA.
NOW I'LL HIGHLIGHT WHAT IS GOING
ON IN THE CELL CENSUS PROJECT AS
WELL AS THE ARMITARIAN PROJECT
HERE.
SO THE BRAIN INITIATIVE CELL
CENSUS PROJECT BASICALLY COVERS
THREE PHASES.
FROM 2014-2017, WAS THE
SO-CALLED BRAIN INITIATIVE CELL
CONSORTIUM.
10 PROJECTS WAS FUNDED AND I WAS
ONE OF THOSE LUCKY PIs IN THAT
FIRST PHASE.
AND OUR REMIT WAS TO DEVELOP,
IDENTIFY AND VALIDATE TOOLS THAT
COULD BE SCALED UP TO CREATE
COMPREHENSIVE ATLASES OF CELL
TYPES IN THE MAMMALIAN BRAIN.
AND THAT QUICKLY SCALED UP TO
THE BRAIN INITIATIVE CELL CENSUS
NETWORK WHERE THE GOAL WAS
ASPIRATIONAL AT THE TIME BUT THE
GOAL WAS TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT
WE CAN CLASSIFY BRAIN CELL TYPES
BASED ON INTEGRATIVE ANALYSIS OF
THE MOLECULAR AND PHYSIOLOGICAL
PROPERTIES.
THE BEDROCK OF THE CELL CENSUS
PROJECT HAS BEEN AND WILL
CONTINUE TO BE ON SINGLE CELL
TRANSCRIPTOMICS BUT IT'S MUCH,
MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
THERE ARE MANY MORE MODALITIES
TO GIVE US INTEGRATED VIEW.
THE BICCN WRAPPED UP IN 2022.
IT RAN FOR FIVE YEARS.
AND THAT HAS GIVEN WAY TO WHAT
IS NOW THE BRAIN INITIATIVE CELL
ATLAS NETWORK.
ONE OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WILL BE
RUNNING FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS
THROUGH 2027.
AND THE THEME THROUGH ALL THIS
WAS A MANTRA, AND NOBODY SEEMS
TO TAKE CREDIT FOR COMING UP
WITH IT, BUT IT'S THINK BIG,
START SMALL AND SCALE FAST.
SO, I JUST WANT TO SUMMARIZE
SOME REMARKABLE PUBLICATIONS
THAT CAME OUT OF THIS.
IN OCTOBER 2021, 27 PAPERS WERE
PUBLISHED IN NATURE FAMILY
JOURNALS.
AS A PILOT PROJECT, USING THE
PRIMARY MOTOR CORTEX OF THE --
ACROSS MAMMALIAN SPECIES TO SEE
IF WE COULD DO IT, AND THEN
FINALLY THIS GAVE RISE TO A
WHOLE MOUSE BRAIN CELL ATLAS
THAT WAS RECENTLY PUBLISHED IN
10 ARTICLES IN THE DECEMBER
ISSUE OF NATURE, 9 OF WHICH WERE
BRAIN FUNDED.
SO I'LL GO THROUGH THESE VERY
QUICKLY.
IN THE SO-CALLED PILOT PROJECT,
THE BICCN PUBLISHED THE CELL
CENSUS ANALYSIS IN THE MOTOR
CORTEX IN MULTIPLE MAMMALIAN
SPECIES WITH SPACIAL
DISTRIBUTION AND PHYSIOLOGY
CONNECTIVITY.
THIS REALLY WAS A -- ORGANIZED
250 RESEARCHERS ACROSS THREE
CONTINENTS FROM OVER 45
INSTITUTIONS.
AND IT REALLY SET THE STAGE FOR
LARGER MORE COMPREHENSIVE AT LAT
FOR THE ENTIRE MOUSE BRAIN AND
ALSO SET THE STAGE FOR STANDING
UP THE EFFORTS TO GET INTO THE
BIG BRAINS AND WE COULD ALREADY
SEE THESE HIERARCHAL
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CELL
TYPES AND HOW THEY ARE
ORGANIZED.
IN THIS TINY PIECE OF THE
CORTEX.
SO AGAIN AS I MENTIONED, AT THE
END OF LAST YEAR, THE GROUP
PUBLISHED A COMPREHENSIVE ATLAS
OF THE ENTIRE MOUSE BRAIN.
AND THIS ANALYSIS COVERED OVER
32 MILLION CELLS.
THERE WERE PROFILED USING A
COMBINATION OF HIGH RESOLUTION
SINGLE CELLTECHNIQUE.
I SHOULD MENTION IN 2014 WHEN WE
STARTED THIS EFFORT, IF YOU HAD
A STUDY THAT COVERED 1000 SINGLE
CELLS YOU WERE AHEAD OF THE
PACK.
IT'S JUST ASTOUNDING THE
PROGRESS WE MADE IN TERMS OF
COST AND EFFICIENCY BETWEEN IN
THE LAST 10 YEARS.
THE GROUP IDENTIFIED USING
SINGLE CELL TRANSCRIPTOMICS,
5300 DISTINCT CELL TYPES AND I
USE THE WORD TYPES GUARDEDLY.
JUST DISTINGUISHABLE TYPES OF
CELLS.
AND REVEALED THE ORGANIZATION OF
PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING
DIVERSIFICATION OF BRAIN CELL
TYPES AND PERHAPS SURPRISINGLY
THEY FOUND A HIGHER COMPLEXITY
OF CELL TYPES IN THE OLD PARTS
OF THE BRAIN COMPARED TO SAY THE
NEOCORTEX.
THIS PROBABLY REFLECTS THE
EVOLUTIONARY AGE OF THE
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BRAIN.
SO MAJOR TAKEAWAYS BASED ON
SINGLE CELL TRANSCRIPTOMICS,
OVER 5000 DISTINGUISHABLE CELL
TYPES AND THEN DURING THIS TIME
THERE WAS ANOTHER MINIREVOLUTION
IN SPACIAL TRANSCRIPTOMICS
ALLOWING RESEARCHERS TO MAP
THESE ALLEGEDDED CELL TYPES ON
TO SPACE IN THESE BRAINS AND IN
MANY WAYS PROVIDING MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE CELLS,
AND ALSO VALIDATING THEIR
IDENTITY AS REAL CELL TYPES.
AND THE ALSO THERE WAS A VERY
LARGE EFFORT LOOKING AT THE
EPIGENOMIC PROFILES OF THESE
CELLS AND THIS COMBINED WITH THE
RNA INFORMATION AND OTHER
MEASURES, REALLY GIVES US AN
IDEA ABOUT THE REGULATORY
MECHANISMS THAT SHAPE THESE
DIFFERENT CELLULAR IDENTITIES.
AND THIS PRONOUNCED SUBSEQUENT
FUNCTIONAL STUDIES WE ARE
LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE
FUTURE.
AND THEN FOLLOWING UP, I'LL
MENTION BRIEFLY, THE DRAFT HUMAN
AND NON-HUMAN PRIMATE BRAIN CELL
ATLASES PUBLISHED IN THE SCIENCE
MAGAZINE FAMILY OF JOURNALS.
IT MAPPED DETAIL AND
COMPLEXITIES OF THESE CELL TYPES
ACROSS SPACE, SPECIES AND TIME.
AND REALLY PAVES THE ROAD
TOWARDS A GREATER UNDERSTANDING
OF THE HUMAN BRAIN AT THE
CELLULAR LEVEL IN MODELS IN
HEALTH AND DISEASE.
SO IT DOES USHER IN A NEW ERA OF
HUMAN BRAIN RESEARCH ACROSS
SPACE.
SO USING SINGLE CELL
TRANSCRIPTOMICS TOGETHER WITH
SPACIOUS TRANSCRIPTOMICS AND
ACROSS SPECIES.
SO THE GROUP LOOKED AT BRAINS
FROM HUMANS AS WELL AS OUR
NEAREST RELATIVES AND OTHER
NON-HUMAN PRIMATES.
WE ARE CLOSEST IN TERMS OF CELL
TYPES WITH THE GREAT APES.
THAT'S NOT TOO SURPRISING.
WHAT IS REALLY INTERESTING IF
YOU NOW LOOK AT THE GENES THAT
SHOW THE HIGHEST
DIFFERENTIALLY -- DIFFERENTIAL
REGULATION, SO THE
DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED GENES,
THESE TEND TO BE LINKED WITH
HUMAN ACCELERATED CHANGES AND
THEY TEND TO ENCODE GENES OF
SYNAPTIC PROTEINS.
SO WE CAN REALLY THINK ABOUT NOT
SO MUCH WHAT IS THE SAME BETWEEN
THESE SPECIES BUT WHAT IS
DIFFERENT AND GET INSIGHTS INTO
WHAT GIVES RICE TO DIFFERENT
PROPERTIES OF BRAINS AGAINST THE
DIFFERENT PRIMATE SPECIES.
AND THEN THE GROUP STARTED AN
ANALYSIS ACROSS THE LIFESPAN OF
BOTH DURING DEVELOPMENT AS WELL
AS IN THE AGING ANIMALS.
THIS AGAIN GIVES US A BEDROCK
INFORMATION THAT COULD BE USED
TO UNDERSTAND DEVELOPMENTAL
DISORDERS AS WELL AS DISORDERS
ASSOCIATED WITH AGING.
SO THIS SETS THE STAGE FOR THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE CELL AT LAT
NETWORK WHICH IS UNDERWAY RIGHT
NOW AND ONE OF OUR
TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS.
RECENTLY EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE
HAD A WORKSHOP ON DATA
INTEGRATION AND ADAPTATION BASED
ON WHAT IS COMING, WHAT HAS
ALREADY COME OUT OF THE BICCN.
AND BASED ON THE FOUNDATION, THE
WORKSHOP EXPLORED THE
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES TO
BUILD A KNOWLEDGE BASE
RESEARCHERS COULD USE AS A
REFERENCE RESOURCE TO GUIDE A
WIDE RANGE OF INQUIRIES INTO THE
FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF
NEUROCIRCUITRY.
THIS HAS BEEN RECORDED AND IT'S
A TERRIFIC MEETING OF THE MINDS
TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT NEEDS
TO BE DONE AND HOW WE MIGHT GO
ABOUT ACHIEVING IT.
SO JUST WANT TO TOUCH BASE ON
WHERE WE ARE ON THE ARMATARIUM
FOR PRECISION BRAIN CELL ACCESS
PROJECT.
THE GOAL IS TO DEVELOP TOOLS TO
ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO ACCESS
MANIPULATE AND MODEL CLINICALLY
RELEVANT CELL TYPES ACROSS
MULTIPLE SPECIES.
THIS IS THE FROM THE BRAIN 2.0
REPORT.
THE PROJECT, THINK OF IT AS
THREE INTERLOCKED AREAS,
DEVELOPING NEW ACCESS TOOLS, WE
FUNDED 6 PRIVATE PROJECTS TO
DESIGN DELIVERY VECTORS AND GENE
REGULATORY ELEMENTS TO PRECISELY
TARGET PAYLOADS INTO DIFFERENT
CELL TYPES AND THESE PAYLOADS
CAN EITHER BE OPT GENETIC
SWITCHES, SENSORS OR GENE
EDITORS.
AND THEN IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO
DISSEMINATE THESE REGIONS OUT
INTO THE FIELD.
I'LL GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON
THAT.
WE SO FAR FUNDED SIX OF THESE
PILOT PROJECTS.
IT TURNED OUT THEY ARE FOLK UGGS
THEIR EFFORTS ON DEVELOPING
ADENO-ASSOCIATED VIRUS AS A
VECTOR AND THE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN
CONCENTRATING ON USING REALLY
COOL DIRECTED EVOLUTION IN AI
APPROACHES IN ENGINEERING TO
FINE-TUNE THE VIRUS AND THEN TO
FURTHER SPECIFY CELL TYPE
SPECIFIC GENE EXPRESSION USING
DATA AND INFORMATION COMING FROM
THE CELL CENSUS PROJECT TO
IDENTIFY AND VALIDATE GENE
REGULATORY ELEMENTS THAT CAN
CROAK GENE EXPRESSION IN THE
CELL TYPES SPECIFIC WAY OF THE
PAYLOADS.
AND ALREADY WE HAVE BEEN MAKING
REMARKABLE PROGRESS AS EVIDENCE
OF THIS COLLECTION OF
PUBLICATIONS.
WE HAVE PENDING UN1 AWARDS
COMING OUT FOR DEVELOPING
PAYLOADS AND INTEGRATION WITH
THESE OTHER EFFORTS AND
DISSEMINATION PROGRAMS.
U24 DISSEMINATION PROJECTS THAT
ARE TARGETED TO AN ALREADY
SERVING INSTITUTIONS AND IN
COLLABORATION WITH OUR U01 PILOT
PROJECTS.
WE ALREADY HAVE THESE
COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN
INSTITUTES AND WE HAVE ANOTHER
COMING UP VERY SOON.
VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THESE
TOOLS IDENTITY TO THE FIELD AND
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS OF
ACHIEVING THIS.
WE HAVE A GROWING COLLECTION IN
WILD PRODUCTION FACILITIES AND
CORE FACILITIES STOOD UP AS
THESE INSTITUTIONS I JUST
MENTIONED.
SO JUST BRIEFLY I WANT TO TO GO
THROUGH A FEW BRAIN FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS THE IS IN BRAIN AS
PARTICIPATING IN THE COMMON
SOMATIC CELL GENOME EDITING
CONSORTIUM.
THE TARGETED CHALLENGE HERE IS
TO FIND NEW WAYS OF DEVISING
PROGRAMMABLE DELIVERY SYSTEMS
FOR GENE EDITING AS WELL AS TO
FIND NEW VECTORS FOR CROSSING
THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER.
WE HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH
PHASE I AND WE ARE NOW IN PHASE
II WHICH REQUIRES PRELIMINARY
DATA AND PROOF-OF-CONCEPT
INFORMATION AND THIS WILL BE DUE
BY -- IT IS OPEN NOW BUT
REGISTRATION MUST BE DONE BY
NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
HERE ISUST JUDGE A SHORT LIST OF
RECENT REISSUES OF BRAIN NOTICES
OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
WE HAVE A REISSUE OF THE BRAIN
BEHAVIOR QUANTIFICATION
SYNCHRONIZATION PROGRAM, THE R34
PLANNING GRANTS.
TWO REISSUES FOR THE MARMOSET
COLMEANS IT FOR NEUROSCIENCE
RESEARCH.
THE R021S FOR EARLY STAGE
RESEARCH FOR RECORDING AND
MODULATION IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
AS WELL AS A REISSUE OF OUR D
SPAN F99K00 STAGE GRADUATE
STUDENT AND POSTDOC AWARDS THAT
WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN AND
COLLABORATION WITH OUR SISTER
PROGRAM, THE BLUEPRINT PROGRAM.
HERE IS A LIST I THINK YOU ALL
HAVE SEEN BEFORE.
I'LL GO THROUGH IT AGAIN.
THESE ARE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
SUPPORTED BY THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE.
THE FIRST SET UNDER THE RED BAR
ARE THE GENERAL TRAINING.
WE HAVE F32 PROGRAM.
K08 CLINICIAN SCIENCE CAREER
DEVELOPMENT AWARDS AS WELL AS
OUR R25 SHORT COURSES.
AND THEN BELOW THE BLUE BAR ARE
OUR DIVERSITY FOCUSED AWARDS.
WE HAVE THE -- WE NOW
PARTICIPATE IN THE BLUEPRINT
BRAIN PROGRAM, THE INSTITUTIONAL
R25 PROGRAM.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE
INVOLVED IN THE PIPELINE AT THE
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH LEVEL.
WE HAVE THE F99K00 AWARDS AND
OUR DIVERSITY FOCUS K99R00
AWARDS AND ON A ROLLING BASIS WE
ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FOR
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLEMENTS TO
BRING IN FOLKS FROM DIVERSE
BACKGROUNDS.
SO AGAIN, YOU CAN GET MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EITHER BY
SCANNING THE QR CODE OR JUST
GOING TO OUR WEBSITE AND LOOKING
UP FOR TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THERE ARE ADDITIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH VARIOUS
NOTICES AND PROGRAMS AROUND NIH.
THE SCIENCE EDUCATION
PARTNERSHIP AWARD, THE RESEARCH
OF ACTIVITIES RELATED TO
DIVERSITY AWARDS, AS WELL AS
VARIOUS RESEARCH SUPPLEMENTS
THAT ARE DESIGNED TO BRING MORE
FOLKS INTO OR BACK INTO THE
RESEARCH WORKFORCE.
OKAY, SO LET ME JUST TAKE THE
NEXT FEW MINUTES TO COVER SOME
RECENT COOL PAPERS WE HAVE SEEN
IN THE LITERATURE THAT HAVE BEEN
SUPPORTED BY THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE.
NOW THERE HAS BEEN AN EXPLOSION
OF STUDIES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS DEMONSTRATING NEW
APPLICATIONS OF DEEP BRAIN
STIMULATION WHICH HAS BEEN
AROUND FOR DECADES TO TREED
DISORDERS AND NOW BEING APPLIED
TO TREAT A WIDE RANGE OF
NEUROPSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS
INCLUDING TREATMENT RESISTANT
DEPRESSION, OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE
BEHAVIORS, BINGE EATING DISCOVER
AND RECOVERING MOTOR FUNCTION
FOLLOWING STROKE AND OTHERS ON
THE HORIZON.
MAJOR DRIVER BEHIND THESE RECENT
EVENTS HAS BEEN THE
IDENTIFICATION OF BRAIN ACTIVITY
BIOMARKERS THAT CAN BE USED TO
INFORM THE DESIGN OF
PERSONALIZED THERAPIES.
SO I'M SUMMARIZING A STUDY FROM
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF
NEUROSCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS
AND CLINICIANS THAT MAKES A
SIGNIFICANT ADVANCE IN DBS
THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE
TREATMENT RESISTANT DEPRESSION.
THE TEAM APPROACH IS TO IDENTIFY
OBJECTIVE DATA DRIVEN BIOMARKERS
BASED ON LONG TERM MONITORING
BILE NOVEL IMPLANTED DBS AND
OVERALL THE STUDY SHOWS THE
POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM
CLINICALLY GUIDED RECOVERY FOR A
VARIETY OF PSYCHIATRIC
CONDITIONS.
SO HERE THEY USE BIDIRECTIONAL
RECORDING AND STIMULATIONS
THROUGH THE DBS DEVICES.
IN THE SUB COLOSSAL CINGULATE IN
10 PATIENTS WITH TREATMENT
RESISTANT DEPRESSION.
EXPLAINABLE AI MODEL BASED ON
FIELD DATA REVEALED A SPECTRAL
DISSEMINATION, FOR CLINICAL
STATE.
SO WHETHER THE PATIENT OR
PARTICIPANT IS SICK OR STABLE
AND ALSO LOOKING AT THE
TRANSITION BETWEEN THESE TWO
STATES.
AND HERE YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT
TRACKS LIKE OVER TIME.
THIS IS A 24-WEEK STUDY.
ON THE TOP IS AN ASSESSMENT OF
THE PATIENT STATE USING
BEHAVIORAL MEASURES AND ON THE
BOTTOM IS THE DATA FROM THE
SPECTRAL DISCRIMINATIVE
COMPONENT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THEY MIRROR EACH
OTHER QUITE NICELY AND THESE
PATIENTS OVERTIME THROUGH THIS
DBS STIMULATION BY-AND-LARGE
MOVE FROM THE SICK STATE TO THE
STABLE STATE.
AND 9 OUT OF 10 PARTICIPANTS
RESPONDED WITH SEVEN GOING INTO
WHAT THEY WOULD CLASSIFY AS FULL
REMISSION.
NOW INTERESTINGLY, THIS IS -- IN
ONE PER DAYS PARTICIPANT THEY
COULD DETECT A RELAPSE FIVE
WEEKS BEFORE CLINICAL
MANIFESTATION.
THIS IS USING THE CSS TO MONITOR
THE STATE.
THIS DOTTED LINE HERE IS THE
THRESHOLD BETWEEN SICK AND
RESPONDING AND YOU CAN SEE HERE
THAT IN THE RED IS THE TRACKING
WITH THIS SPECTRAL
DISCRIMINATION COMPONENT AND YOU
CAN SEE ACROSS THE THRESHOLD AT
WEEK 12 WHEREAS BY THE
BEHAVIORAL MESSAGE THE PATIENT
DOESN'T CROSS THRESHOLD UNTIL 5
WEEKS LATER.
YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THIS AS A
WAY TO MONITOR THE PATIENT'S
RESPONSE STOT DBS THERAPY AND TO
BE ABLE TO ADJUST STIMULATION
BEFORE THE SYMPTOMS OCCUR.
AND GIVEN THESE MOOD STATES ARE
LONG TERM, THE POWERFUL THING
ABOUT THIS ANALYSIS IS IT IS
ROBUST TO MOMENT TO MOMENT
CHANGES WHETHER YOU'RE A LITTLE
BIT ANGRY, A LITTLE BIT HAPPY,
BUT TO THE OVERALL MOOD STATE OF
THE PATIENT.
NOW WHAT IS REALLY COOL AS WELL,
THEY DROPPED A CLASSIFIER BASED
ON FACIAL EXPRESSIONS THAT
CORRELATE WITH SDC AND SICK AND
STABLE TRANSITION TIME.
ONE CAN THINK ABOUT USING THESE
OBJECTIVE BIOMARKERS AND THE
MANAGEMENT OF PERSONALIZED DBS.
A BEAUTIFUL DEMONSTRATION OF
WHERE THE FIELD HAS COME AND
WHERE IT CAN GO IN THE FUTURE
GIVEN ALL THE INTEREST AND
RECENT SUCCESSES IN THIS FIELD
OF STUDY.
SO, JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOR
YOU A STUDY THAT WAS LED -- IT
WAS LED BY DR. LEE.
IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL
COLLABORATION WHERE THEY
DEVELOPED IMPROVED DOPAMINE
SENSORS BASED ON THESE SO-CALLED
GRAB SENSORS WHICH INVOLVE G
PROTEIN COUPLED RECEPTORS FOR
VARIOUS NEUROPEPTIDES COUPLED
WITH GFP THAT ALLOWS THE
DETECTION OF THE
NEUROTRANSMITTER OR NEUROPEPTIDE
OF INTEREST.
SO HERE THEY DEVELOPED IMPROVED
DOPAMINE SENSORS VERY
SIGNIFICANTLY IN BOTH THE RED
AND GREEN, WHICH GENERATES A LOT
OF FLEXIBILITY AND THIS ALLOWS
THEM TO PERFORM DUAL COLOR
IMAGING.
SO FOR EXAMPLE ONE CAN MONITOR
BOTH DOPAMINE RELEASE AS WELL AS
ACETYLCHOLINE RELEASE
SIMULTANEOUSLY IN A GIVEN BRAIN
REGION.
AND THESE GRAB SENSORS FOR
DOPAMINE ARE ALSO QUITE
SENSITIVE AND ALSO GIVE SOLVE
RESOLUTION.
SO VERY, VERY POWERFUL TOOLS
COMING FROM THE LEE LAB WITH
MANY COLLABORATORS
ACROSS-THE-BOARD, NOT JUST FOR
DOPAMINE BUT FOR MANY DIFFERENT
CONCEPT OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS AS
WELL AS NEUROPEPTIDES.
FINALLY I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A
STUDY FROM ROB'S LAB AT NYU
FUNDED BY ONE OF OUR LARGE U19
PROJECTS.
AND HERE THE IDEA IS THAT WHILE
OAKSYITOSE IN DRIVES PATERNAL
CARE BEHAVIORS, SO WHEN A HUMOR
A MOUSE HEARS THEIR BABIES
CRYING, IT ELICITS CERTAIN
MATERNAL BEHAVIORS.
AND ALTHOUGH HUMAN OXYTOCIN HAS
BEEN KNOWN TO BE INVOLVED IN
THIS PROCESS AND RESPONSE, IN
THIS CASE OF THE MOUSE OF THE
CRYING SOUNDS OF THE MOUSE PUP,
THE CIRCUIT MECHANISMS OF THESE
LONG LASTING AND ROBUST
BEHAVIORS ARE STILL LARGELY
UNKNOWN.
SO HERE BY USING A TOUR DE FORCE
APPLICATION OF CHEMO GENETIC,
OPT GENETIC AND CIRCUITRY
BEHAVIORAL MEASURES, THEY TAGGED
THE OXYTOW SIN NEURONS IN THE
NUCLEUS AND SHOWED MINUTES LONG
RESPONSES OF CELLS USING CELL
ATTACHED AND PHOTO METRIC
REQUIREMENTS SHOWING THE
ATTACHED DATA.
AND THESE ARE LONG LASTING
CHANGES.
AND THEY ASKED THE QUESTION
ABOUT WHAT IS DRIVING THESE
RESPONSES, THESE AUDITORY
RESPONSES?
AND PURE TONES WOULDN'T DO IT
BUT THE RECORDED PUP CRIES
WOULD.
AND USING THIS THEY FOUND THAT
THERE IS A SPECIALIZED AUDITORY
PROJECTION FROM THE POSTERIOR
NUCLEUS OF THE THALAMUS THAT
GIVES A LONG LASTING OT NEURON
EXCITABILITY IN THE PARAVENTULAR
NUCLEUS AND THIS IS A VERY
INTERESTING DISINHIBITION THAT
GIVES RISE TO THE INCREASED
EXCITABILITY OF OXYTOCIN
NEURONS.
AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PUP
CALL APPROACH AND ISOLATED PUP
WAS IMPAIRED WHEN THE ACTIVATION
WAS CONDITIONALLY SUPPRESSED
USING CHEMO GENETIC APPROACHES.
SO, WITH THAT KIND OF RAPID TOUR
THROUGH WHAT IS GOING ON IN
BRAIN, JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO
STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH WAWHAT WE
ARE DOING THROUGH THESE VARIOUS
CHANNELS.
WE HAVE A BRAIN BLOG.
I PROMISE YOU WON'T BE SPAMED
WITH TOO MANY, MAILS AND THE
REST OF THE INFORMATION IS TO
CONNECT WITH ONE OF OUR PROGRAM
OFFICERS AND ONE OF YOUR PROGRAM
OFFICERS TO FILL YOU IN ON THE
LATEST COMINGS AND GOINGS AND
HOW YOUR PROJECTS MIGHT BEST FIT
IN WITH WHAT WE'RE SUPPORTING,
THE BRAIN INITIATIVE.
AND YOU CAN FIND US HERE.
AND I WILL STOP HERE AND TAKE
ANY QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE SUMMARY,
JOHN.
I WAS WONDERING, I JUST DON'T
REMEMBER WELL.
IN LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, THE
BUDGET SLIDE YOU PUT UP.
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023, IT LOOKED
LIKE THE BASELINE IC
CONTRIBUTIONS WERE DRAMATICALLY
REDUCED OVER THE PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER THAT BEING
ANTICIPATED BUT I COULD BE WRONG
ON THAT.
IS THAT SORT OF WHAT IS EXPECTED
IN THE 21ST CENTURY CURIOUS
WOULD MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE?
>> GREAT QUESTION.
SO, WE HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF
BASE FUNDING TO THE 10ICs AND
THE CURES FUNDS, THEY VARY FROM
YEAR TO YEAR BECAUSE THEY WERE
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT -- SO THE
CURES FUNDS WERE AUTHORIZED BUT
NOT APPROPRIATED.
APPROPRIATIONS HAPPEN YEAR TO
YEAR AND THEY FLUCTUATED UP AND
DOWN BASED ON WHAT WAS EXPECTED
FROM THE OVERALL FEDERAL BUDGET.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT.
WITH THE ANTICIPATION, WE WERE
GOING IT HAVE THIS INCREASE IN
2023 BECAUSE THE CURES ACT FUNDS
JUMPED FROM 1SOMETHING MILLION
TO 450 MILLION.
SO THAT KIND OF POSED AN
INTERESTING SET OF POTENTIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES.
ONE WAS WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
WITH THIS MONEY?
THE CURIOUS ACT FUNDS ARE THAT
WE CAN CARRY THEM FORWARD.
BUT, IT KIND OF LOOKED FUNNY IF
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE NORTH OF 900
MILLION DOLLARS.
SO, THE WAY THAT THE
APPROPRIATORS HANDLE THIS,
LISTEN, THEY GAVE US A 60
MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN THE
TOP LINE BUDGET.
AND WHAT WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT
IS OUR TOP LINE BUDGET.
HOW WE GET THERE IS SOMETHING
THAT OF COURSE WE'RE CONCERNED
WITH BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS
HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE HAVE IN THE
BANK?
SO THAT WAS A WAY OF SMOOTHING
THIS OUT AND THEN THE GOAL RIGHT
NOW IS TO MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN
THAT TOP LINE FUNDING.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF -- MANY
UNSPOKEN ASSUMPTIONS THAT KIND
OF LED UP TO THIS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WHEN THE
CURES FUNDS HAD DROPPED IN
PREVIOUS YEARS, THEY MADE UP FOR
IT IN THE BASE APPROPRIATIONS
AND IT'S KNEW TO THE REALLY
GREAT WORK THAT OUR FUNDED DOES
THAT WE USE THIS TO ADVOCATE FOR
SUSTAINED HIGH-LEVEL FUNDING.
BUT APPROPRIATIONS ARE MADE YEAR
TO YEAR.
WE COULD ONLY RESPOND TO THE
APPROPRIATORS WHEN THEY ASK US
WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE AND WE REALLY
HAVE DONE ALL THAT WE CAN TO
SHOW THEM THE GREAT IMPACT THE
BRAIN HAS HAD AND WILL HAVE ON
THE FIELD AND THIS IS ABOUT
WHERE WE ARE.
IT'S A YEAR TO YEAR THING AND WE
ARE REALLY WORKING HARD TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY APPRECIATE THE
VALUE THAT BRAIN BRINGS TO THE
ENTERPRISE.
TED?
>> HI, JOHN.
THANKS FOR A TERRIFIC SUMMARY
AND FOR THE IMPACT THAT YOU HAVE
HAD AND THE TEAM AND ALL THE
AMAZING RESEARCH.
IT'S REALLY TERRIFIC TO SEE.
MY QUESTION -- I WAS RUNNING
LATE SO I'M SORRY, MAYBE YOU
COVERED THIS.
MY QUESTION IS ABOUT TRAINING.
AND IT HAS TO DO WITH RELEASE IN
DECEMBER FROM AN ADVISORY
COMMITTEE TO THE DIRECTOR, A
WORKING GROUP ON POSTDOCTORAL
FELLOWS.
ONE OF THE -- WHAT MAKES ALL OF
THESE PAPERS IN NATURE AND
SCIENCE POSSIBLE BESIDES THE
EXTRAORDINARY FUNDING IS THE
EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE THAT WE
EACH HAVE IN OUR LABS.
AND IT REALLY IS BECOMING AN
INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT AND
CHALLENGING TIME FOR OUR
TRAINEES.
AND I JUST WONDERED IF THERE
WERE THOUGHTS.
ONE NICE THING THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE HAS IS THE ABILITY TO
BE MORE NIMBLE THAN INSTITUTES.
SOMETHING THEY HAVE SHOWN IN
THE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PLANS FOR
ENHANCING DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES
IN RESEARCH.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE MIGHT BE PARTICULARLY
POISED TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE
ON HOW WE TRAIN THE NEXT
GENERATION OF OUR BRAIN
RESEARCHERS.
AND SO I WONDER -- I REALIZE
THIS JUST CAME OUT 6 OR 8 WEEKS
AGO, BUT I WONDER WHAT THE
THOUGHTS ARE, IF THERE ARE ANY
IN RESPONSE TO THAT, AND THE
PARTICULAR CONCERNS ABOUT OUR
COMMUNITY OF POSTDOCTORAL
RESEARCHERS.
>> IT'S AN ONGOING CONCERN.
AS I'M SITTING HERE AS DIRECTOR
OF THE BRAIN INITIATIVE BUT ALSO
AS SOMEBODY WHO STILL HAS A LAB
WITH TRAINEES IN IT.
IT'S A BIG CONCERN.
MY VIEW IS THE LANDSCAPE IS
CHANGING.
THE DEMANDS THAT OUR TRAINEES
ARE UNDER AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW THE
TRAINING CAN HELP THEM ACHIEVE
THEIR GOALS, WHETHER IT'S AN
ACADEMIC POSITIONS OR INDUSTRY
OR OTHER WALKS OF LIFE, THE
REQUIREMENTS TO GET THEM TO
THESE DIFFERENT PLACES HAS
CHANGED.
AND THE REALITY IS THAT
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING ISN'T
STRICTLY NECESSARY TO BE
SUCCESSFUL IN DIFFERENT WALKS OF
SCIENTIFIC LIFE.
AND OF COURSE THIS POSES ISSUES
IN TERMS OF, NOT JUST IN
TRAINING BUT IN TERMS OF WHO
WILL DO THE WORK.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO FIGURE
OUT HOW NIH AND HOW THE
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY IS GOING TO
DEAL WITH THE URGENT NEED TO
ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
BRAIN INITIATIVE IS JUST A VERY
SMALL PART OF NIH.
BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY TRYING TO
PUSH THE ENVELOPE WHERE WE CAN.
THE PDP IS ONE AREA.
OUR K99 AS A DIVERSITY FOCUSED
MECHANISM, WE EXPANDED THE
ELIGIBILITY BY A YEAR, WHICH I
THINK HAS BEEN A HUGE HELP.
IN TERMS OF THE PAY SCALES, WE
HAVE TO GO BY WHAT THE PAY
SCALES INSTITUTED BY THE NIH AS
WELL AS BY THE INSTITUTIONS.
SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHOLE
COMMUNITY TOW ADDRESS THIS.
NIH CAN ONLY DO A PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE INSTITUTIONS.
WE CANNOT ASK CONGRESS FOR MORE
MONEY.
IF WE WANT OUR POSTDOCS TO BE
PAID MORE, IT'S GOING TO BE UP
TO THE COMMUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR
THEMSELVES AND FOR US TO TRY TO
GET MORE FUNDING.
I MEAN, I DON'T LIKE TO THINK IN
A ZERO SUM SCENARIO, BUT IT'S A
ZERO SUM GAIN RIGHT NOW.
CONGRESS ALLOCATES SO MUCH MONEY
TO THE NIH TO SUPPORT BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH AND IF WE INCREASE THE
PAY TO THE FOLKS DOING THE WORK,
IT'S GOT TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE.
AND THE THIS IS JUST AERALITIY.
I'M DEDICATED TO MAKING THIS A
BETTER WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT FOR
EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY OUR
TRAINEES.
WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE TALENT
HERE.
BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE EFFORT ON
EVERYBODY'S BEHALF TO ADVOCATE
TO GET THESE CHANGES INTO PLACE.
>> THERE ARE A NUMBER --
OBVIOUSLY THE FINANCIAL ISSUES
ARE ONE THING THAT'S MENTIONED
IN TERMS OF SALARY SUPPORT.
BUT THE OTHER PART OF THAT
REPORT ARE THINGS TO HELP
SUPPORT THEIR COMMUNITY AND
IDENTITY AND GROWTH.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MIGHT
BE A PLACE ONE COULD THINK ABOUT
THE WAY ADDING FOCUS ON DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES WAS ADDED.
INCREASING THAT IF THEY ARE
INCLUDED IN GRANTS AND THINGS
LIKE THAT.
THERE ARE WAYS IN THE REPORT
THAT COULD HELP MAKE A
DIFFERENCE TO THE COMMUNITY OF
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS THAT MAY
NOT BE FINANCIALLY COSTLY BUT
ADMINISTRATIVELY CHALLENGING.
>> RIGHT.
AND WE'RE SEEING THESE THINGS,
THESE ISSUES, ADDRESSED IN THE
PDP COMING OUT AND PEOPLE TAKING
ACTION.
SO WE ARE HOPING BY FOCUSING
PEOPLE'S ATTENTION ON THIS THAT
ITSELF WILL HELP MAKE A
DIFFERENCE AS WELL.
WE HAVE SEEN MORE THAN A FEW
FOLKS WHO STARTED OUT AS
POSTDOCS OR JUNIOR FACULTY ON
BRAIN-FUNNELEDDED GRANTS WHO ARE
NOW PIs ON THESE GRANTS.
WE JUST HAVE TO DO IT A PERSON
AT A TIME BUT IT'S REALLY GOING
TO TAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT ON
THE ALL OF OUR PARTS.
DAVID?
>> HI, JOHN.
QUICK COMMENT ON.
TOUR DE FORCE IS ALWAYS REALLY
SETTING SIGHTS.
I WONDER HOW YOU VIEW BRAIN'S
ROLE IN DISSEMINATING THIS
FURTHER DOWN THE TRAINEE
SPECTRUM AND TO UNDERGRADS.
ARE THESE THINGS THAT YOU
MENTIONED, A LIVING TEXTBOOK IN
THE FUTURE?
HOW DO WE GET ALL THESE GREAT
ADVANCES TO OUR TRAINEES?
>> SO, AS I MENTIONED -- WE
SIGNED ON TO THE BLUEPRINT
ENDURE PROGRAM, WHICH IS
PROVIDING R25 INSTITUTIONAL
GRANTS TO BRAIN UNDERGRADS AND
FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
SO THAT IS KIND OF ADDRESSING
THE ISSUE EARLIER IN THE
SO-CALLED PIPELINE.
BUT IT'S NOT REALLY JUST ABOUT
DEVELOPING THE PIPELINE.
IT'S A MATTER OF BRINGING FOLKS
IN AND KEEPING THEM IN AND
HELPING THEM PROGRESS ALONG THE
CAREER PATH.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERY STAGE
THAT WE CAN RIGHT NOW AND IT'S A
LONG TERM INVESTMENT.
IT WILL TAKE -- DECADES BEFORE
YOU SEE SOMEBODY RISE TO A LEVEL
OF LEADERSHIP STARTING OUT VERY,
VERY EARLY.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH ON ALL
AREAS WE CAN.
AND I THINK AS WE HAVE SEEN IN
OUR K99 PROGRAM, WE SEEN MANY OF
THESE K99ERS AS WE REFER TO
THEM, TRANSITION TO REALLY NICE
FACULTY JOBS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE
APPLICATIONS COME IN, WE'RE
FUNDING SOME OF THOSE FOLKS NOW
AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING DIVERSITY
SUPPLEMENTS FROM THESE FOLKS
COMING IN.
SO IT'S JUST TRYING TO PUT
PRESSURE AND PRESS ON ALL THE
LEVERS WE CAN TO GENERATE A MORE
ROBUST AND THE DIVERSE FOOTPRINT
WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED TO SOLVE
THE PROBLEMS WE ARE FACING,
SCIENTIFICALLY.
OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
SUSAN, HOW ARE WE ON TIME?
>> WE'RE GREAT.
WE ARE RIGHT ON TIME.
>> OKAY.
HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN OTHER
QUESTIONS IN THE CHAT OR AS THEY
COME UP IN DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ATTENTION
AND YOUR SUPPORT.
>> SO NEXT WE WILL HEAR FROM
DR. ALYSSA PICCHINI SCHAFFER,
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR
SCIENTIST OF THE SIMONS
FOUNDATION.
JOHN INTRODUCED HER A FEW
MINUTES AGO.
HOPEFULLY ALL IS WELL WITH YOUR
INTERNET AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO
HEARING YOUR PRESENTATION.
>> I HOPE SO.
HELLO, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME?
>> YES.
YOU HAVE YELLOW BARS SO --
>> GREAT, I WANTED TO SAY HELLO
WHILE MY VIDEO IS ON.
WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A
SNOWSTORM IN NEW YORK CITY WHICH
IS MAKING MY INTERNET A LITTLE
BIT UNSTABLE.
SO I AM GOING TO TURN MY VIDEO
OFF AS SOON AS I CAN FIGURE
OUT -- I THINK I HAVE TO STOP
SHARING TO DO THAT FIRST.
SO YOU'LL JUST HEAR MY VOICE BUT
I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT
TO YOU TODAY.
>> WE LOST YOUR VIDEO -- YOUR
SLIDES.
>> OKAY.
GREAT.
CAN YOU SEE MY SLIDES NOW?
>> YES.
>> WONDERFUL.
SO THANKS AGAIN FOR HAVING ME.
MY NAME IS ALYSSA PICCHINI
SCHAFFER AND I'M A
VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR
SCIENTIST FOR THE NEUROSCIENCE
COLLABORATIONS AT THE SIMONS
FOUNDATION.
AND TODAY I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU
UPDATES FROM ACROSS DIFFERENT
DIVISIONS ACROSS ALL OF THE
NEUROSCIENCE WE HAVE GOING ON.
THIS INCLUDES OUR AUTISM IN
NEUROSCIENCE DIVISION, OUR
CENTER FOR COMPUTATIONAL IN
NEUROSCIENCE AND A NEW
EDITORIALLY INDEPENDENT
PUBLICATION CALLED THE
TRANSMITTER.
FIRST I WANT TO STEP BACK AND
LETTED YOU KNOW WHAT THE SIMONS
FOUNDATION IS.
THE SIMONS FOUNDATION IS A
PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION
DEDICATED TO ADVANCING THE
FRONTIERS OF BASIC SCIENCE
THROUGH GRANT MAKING, IN-HOUSE
RESEARCH AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1994 BITE
JIM AND MARILYN SIMONS, THE
FOUNDATION HAS BEEN A CHAMPION
OF BASIC SCIENCE.
WE BELIEVE IN ASKING BIG
QUESTIONS AND PROVIDING
SUSTAINED SUPPORT TO RESEARCHERS
WORKING TO UNRAVEL ALL THE
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE.
THE SIMONS FOUNDATION MAKES
GRANTS IN FOUR SCIENTIFIC AREAS,
AUTISM IN NEUROSCIENCE,
MATHEMATICS AND THE PHYSICAL
SCIENCES, LIFE SCIENCES AND
SCIENCE SOCIETY AND CULTURE.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE AN
IN-HOUSE RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
OUR FLATIRON INSTITUTE OPENED IN
2016 AND CONDUCTS COMPUTATIONAL
RESEARCH: AND THROUGH OUR WORK,
OUR GOAL IS REALLY TO MAKE SPACE
FOR SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY, WHICH
BRINGS ME TO THE INTRODUCTION OF
THE NEW SIMONS FOUNDATION BRAND.
THIS IS OUR NEW LYINGO.
THROUGH OUR WORK AND THROUGH OUR
NEW LOGO, YOU CAN SEE, NOT SURE
IF YOU CAN SEE MY CURSOR BUT
THIS O IS WHAT WE CALL THE
SPOTLIGHT.
AND IT IS MEANT TO INVITE
CURIOSITY AND EXPLORATION.
AND THIS HELPS US ILLUMINATE OUR
VISION FOR OUR WORLD WHERE BASIC
SCIENCE MEAN AN ESSENTIAL DRIVER
OF PROGRESS AND OUR INNATE
CURIOSITY TO GUIDE.
SO YOU'LL SEE DIFFERENT
INDICATORS IN THE SPOTLIGHT,
LIKE OVER HERE ON THE RIGHT,
THAT WILL DENOTE DIFFERENT
PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES AT THE
SIMONS FOUNDATION.
SO BACK TO NEUROSCIENCE AT THE
SIMONS FOUNDATION.
THREE PARTS I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT.
OUR AUTISM IN NEUROSCIENCE
DIVISION INCLUDES THE
NEUROSCIENCE COLLABORATIONS
WHICH I OVERSEE AND THE SIMONS
FOUNDATION AUTISM RESEARCH
INITIATIVE.
OUR SCIENCE SOCIETY AND CULTURE
WHICH INCLUDES THE TRANSMITTER.
AND OUR FLATIRON INSTITUTE WHICH
INCLUDES THE CENTER FOR
COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE.
SO THE MISSION OF THE
NEUROSCIENCE COLLABORATIONS IS
TO SUPPORT AND CONVENE
SCIENTISTS TO THE ADDRESS
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS ABOUT
BRAIN FUNCTION.
AND AGAIN WE ARE PART OF THE
NEUROSCIENCE OR AUTISM AND
NEUROSCIENCE DIVISION WHICH
INCLUDES SAFARI WHICH I'LL GET
TO IN MORE DETAIL IN A LITTLE
BIT.
IT'S A MORE PERMANENT INITIATIVE
OF THE SCIENCE FOUNDATION AND
IT'S OLDER AND HAS BEEN AROUND
LONGER THAN THE NEUROSIGNS
COLLABORATIONS.
SO WITHIN OUR NEUROSCIENCE
COLLABORATIONS SUBDIVISION, WE
HAVE TWO CURRENT COLLABORATIONS.
THE SIMONS COLLABORATION ON THE
GLOBAL BRAIN AND I'LL CALL IT
GLOBAL BRAIN OR SCGB AND THE
PLASTICITY AND THE AGING BRAIN.
I'LL CALL IT AGING BRAIN OR
SCPAB.
SO THE SIMONS CLAMERATION ON THE
GLOBAL BRAIN AIMS TO EXPAND OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF
INTERNAL BRAIN PROCESSES IN THE
ART FROM SENSATION TO ACTION
DISCOVERING THE NATURE, ROLE AND
MECHANISMS OF THE NEUROACTIVITY
THEY PRODUCES COGNITION.
SO THE GLOBAL BRAIN WAS STARTED
IN JULY OF 2014 AND WE CURRENTLY
FUND ABOUT JUST UNDER 100
INVESTIGATORS ACROSS ALMOST 30
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS.
AND MOST OF THESE COLLABORATIVE
PROJECTS REALLY FOCUS ON
BRINGING TOGETHER SYSTEMS
NEUROSCIENTISTS, EXPERIMENTAL
NEUROSCIENTISTS, WITH
COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENTISTS
AND THEORISTS.
IN ADDITION TO FUNDING RESEARCH,
WE HAVE A MISSION TO FACILITATE
COLLABORATION AND DATA SHARING
AND WE DO THIS THROUGH
WORKSHOPS, ANNUAL MEETINGS,
BUILDING PIPELINES TO PUT DATA
WITHOUT BORDERS FORMAT.
ENCOURAGING MANY OTHER
ACTIVITIES.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE
RIGHT, THE NETWORK OF ALL OF OUR
INVESTIGATORS AND HOW THEY
OVERLAP.
THIS IS NOT JUST ON OUR PROJECTS
BUT ON PUB PUBLICATIONS WE FUND
OUTSIDE OF THE LAB AS WELL.
I THOUGHT LONG AND HARD WHICH
ACCOMPLISHMENTS COMING OUT WE
WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HERE AND I
DECIDED THAT THERE WERE JUST SO
MANY AND IT WOULDN'T DO IT
JUSTICE TO TALK ABOUT SOME, SO
I'M ENCOURAGING YOU TO USE THE
QR CODE AND GO TO OUR WEBSITE
AND LOOK AT THE WORK WE ARE
DOING.
OUR SECOND NEUROSCIENCE
COLLABORATION IS CALLED THE
SCIENCE COLLABORATION ON
PLASTICITY AND THE AGING BRAIN.
AND THE WORK IN THIS
COLLABORATION AIMS TO DISCOVER
THE MECHANISMS OF RESILIENCE AND
MAINTENANCE IN THE AGING BRAIN
AND TO ESTABLISH A BASELINE FOR
AGE RELATED CHANGES IN
PLASTICITY ACROSS MANY MODEL
SYSTEMS.
AND THIS IS FLORIDA TO IDENTIFY
POTENTIAL INTERVENTIONS TO
MINIMIZE COGNITIVE DECLINE AND
EXTEND THE HEALTHY LIFESPAN.
THE AGING BRAIN STARTED IN MARCH
2020, EARLY MARCH 2020 AND WE
CURRENTLY FUND ABOUT 31
INVESTIGATORS ACROSS SEVEN
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS.
AND AGAIN, AS WITH THE OTHER
NEUROSCIENCE COLLABORATION, OUR
GOAL IS ALSO TO FACILITATE
COLLABORATION AND DATA SHARING
THROUGH WORKSHOPS AND CONVENINGS
AND OTHER SUPPORTS.
AND ONE OF THE INTERESTING
FEATURES OF THE AGING BRAIN IS
THAT AT THE OUTSET, WE INITIATED
COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOPS ACROSS
ALL OF THE INVESTIGATORS TO
ALIGN THEIR PROJECTS ON TIME
POINTS, PROTOCOLS, MODEL
SYSTEMS, DATA MODALITIES AND
REALLY BIG DETAIL.
WE DID THIS WITH AN EYE TOWARDS
DIRECT COMPARISON OF ALL THE
DATA THAT WAS COMING OUT OF
THESE COLLABORATIVE AWARDS.
AND WE ALSO DID THIS IN ORDER TO
DO THIS DIRECT COMPARISON, WE
HAVE CREATED AGING BRAIN
DATABASE.
SO THIS QR CODE IS A LINK TO THE
START OF THIS AND SO IT'S AN
INFO GRAPHIC ON HOW THE PROJECTS
ALIGN AND COMPARISONS OF DATA WE
ARE DIRECTLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO
MAKE.
AND STOW NOW AS THE RESEARCHERS
ARE REALLY DEEPLY INTO
GENERATING THE DATA FROM THESE
AWARDS, WE ARE BUILDING THE
DATABASE TO ADJUST IT AND MAKE
THESE COMPARISONS AND THE PLAN
IS TO MAKE THIS AVAILABLE TO THE
ENTIRE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AS
SOON AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
WE ARE ALSO IN A VERY EXCITING
PLACE RIGHT NOW AT THE SIMONS
FOUNDATION.
WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A
PROCESS TO IDENTIFY THE NEXT SET
OF NEUROSCIENCE COLLABORATIONS.
IMPORTANTLY, THE NEUROSCIENCE
COLLABORATIONS BY DESIGN ARE
TIME LIMITED.
THEY ARE MEANT TO BE 10 YEARS.
WHILE OUR OLDER NEUROSCIENCE
COLLABORATION IS LOOKING TOWARDS
SUNSETTING, WE ARE FIGURING OUT
WHAT AREAS WE ARE GOING TO
SUPPORT NEXT.
AND SO WE PUT OUT AN OPEN CALL
FOR VISION STATEMENTS FOR AREAS
OF NEUROSCIENCE POISED FOR HIGH
IMPACT FUNDING FROM US.
WITH A FOCUS ON SUB FIELDS WHERE
BRINGING TOGETHER TWO SUB FIELDS
THAT RARELY COMMUNICATE AND
COULD MAKE A BIG IMPACT AND
SIGNIFICANT PROCESS COULD BE
MADE TO OUR UNDERSTANDING IN THE
NEXT 10 YEARS.
WE RECEIVED 251 VISION
STATEMENTS AND THROUGH A VERY
COMPLICATED AND HARD PROCESS, IF
I'M BEING HONEST, WE NARROWED
THIS DOWN TO 20 PROPOSALS.
WE RECEIVED THOSE PROPOSALS
ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.
THEY ARE IN WITH GENERAL
CATEGORIES OF
NEUROIMMUNOINTERACTIONS, BRAIN
BODY, THE SOCIAL BRAIN AND
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, OMICS AND
COMPUTATION, LEARNING AND
GENERALIZATION AND
NEURODEVELOPMENT AND
NEUROINTERACTIONS.
WE ARE DEEP IN REVIEW PROCESS
AND WE ARE GOING TO LIKELY
NARROW THIS DOWN TO PROX LET
FOUR-SIXER POTENTIAL
COLLABORATIONS FOR WORKSHOPS
BEFORE WE DECIDE WHICH THE ARE
NEXT AREAS WE SUPPORT.
NOW, ON TO ONE OF OUR BEST OR
MOST WELL-KNOWN INITIATIVES IN
NEUROSCIENCE AT THE SIMONS
FOUNDATION.
THE AUTISM RESEARCH INITIATIVE.
SAFARI HAS A MISSION TO IMPROVE
THE UNDERSTANDING, DIAGNOSIS AND
TREATMENT OF AUTISM SPECTRUM
DISORDERS BY FUNDING INNOVATIVE
RESEARCH OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY
AND RELEVANCE.
ONE OF THE WAYS TO MOST EASILY
UNDERSTAND THE ACTIVITIES OF
SAFARI IS TO CATEGORIZE THEM
INTO THREE BUCKETS.
THE FIRST BUCKET, IS CONVENINGS,
WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS, BRINGING
INVESTIGATORS TOGETHER TO
EXCHANGE IDEAS.
THE NEXT IS GRANT MAKING.
A HOST OF DIFFERENT GRANT MAKING
MECHANISMS THAT SAFARI RUNS
WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL
INVESTIGATORS AND COLLABORATIVE
AWARDS AND EARLY CAREER AWARDS
OR EVEN INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
SAFARI DOES WELL IS GENERATE
RESOURCES BIOREPOSITORIES,
COHORTS AND OTHER DATA AND
ANIMAL MODEL RESOURCES.
ONE OF THE GREATEST IMPACTS IS
ON GENETICS OF AUTISM.
BACK I IN 2007, WE KNEW THAT
AUTISM WAS THE MOTOR HERITABLE
PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS WHERE
BETWEEN 70-90% OF IDENTICAL
TWINS HAVE AUTISM.
THAT NUMBER GOES DOWN TO 31% OF
FRATERNAL TWINS WITH AUTISM AND
APPROXIMATELY 20% OF SIBLINGS
BOTH HAVE AUTISM.
WHICH TELLS US THAT THE RISK IS
BOTH GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL.
AND IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE THE
GENETIC PORTION OF THIS RISK,
SAFARI MADE LARGE INVESTMENTS IN
COHORTS, GENE DISCOVERY AND OPEN
SCIENCE SINCE ABOUT 2006.
ONE OF THE FIRST INVESTMENTS WAS
THE SIMONS SIMPLEX COLLECTION
WHICH INCLUDES 2,600 FAMILIES OF
AT LEAST ONE PERSON DIAGNOSED
WITH AUTISM.
WE ALSO HAVE TWO OTHER LARGE
COHORTS, SPARK, SIMONS POWERING
AUTISM RESEARCH, A PHENOTYPE
FIRST COHORT WHERE RIGHT NOW WE
HAVE OVER 325,000 PARTICIPANTS
OF WHICH ABOUT 125,000 HAVE
AUTISM.
WE ALSO HAVE A GENES FIRST
COHORT WHERE THERE ARE
APPROXIMATELY 7000 PARTICIPANTS
AND 180 GENE GROUPS.
AND IN A JOINT INITIATIVE WITH
THE NANCY LORI MARKS FAMILY
FOUNDATION, WE ALSO HAVE THE AIC
WHICH IS AN EFFORT TO GENERATE
INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS
FROM BLOOD SAMPLES OF
PARTICIPANTS IN THE SIMON SEARCH
LIGHT COHORT.
AND THROUGH THIS WORK, SAFARI
MADE MAJOR PROGRESS ON THE
GENETICS OF AUTISM.
SPARK ALONE HAS IDENTIFIED 167
GENES AND 43 COPY NUMBER
VARIATIONS THAT ARE
SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER.
AND THIS SLIDE IS SMALL AND HARD
TO READ.
THEY ARE LISTED HERE AND THESE
SLIDES ARE IN YOUR MEETING NOTES
IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THIS THE
A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY.
AND SAFARI ALSO ACKNOWLEDGES
THAT GENES ARE ONLY PART OF THE
PICTURE TO TRULY UNDERSTAND
AUTISM.
AND SAFARI ALSO HAS RESEARCH
FROM OTHER LEVELS FROM NETWORKS
TO CIRCUITS TO BEHAVIOR.
THIS IS ALL SOMETHING THEY ARE
INVESTING DEEPLY IN, ESPECIALLY
AS THEY LOOK AT THE NEXT -- THE
FUTURE OF SAFARI.
JUST TO GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE OF
HARNESSING THE RESEARCH POWER OF
THESE COHORTS TO INVESTIGATE AND
UNDERSTAND AUTISM, I WANTED TO
TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS
PROJECT BEING CONDUCTED WHO IS
CURRENTLY SERVING ON THE
ACADEMIC SABBATICAL AT THE
SIMONS FOUNDATION.
HE IS USING WEARABLE DEVICES
COMBINED WITH PATIENT
QUESTIONNAIRES AND A SLEEP DIARY
TO PHENOTYPE THE SLEEP PATTERNS
OF 100 FAMILIES FROM THE SPARK
COHORT.
SO ONE OF THE GREAT FEATURES OF
THE SPARK INITIATIVE IS FAMILIES
CAN INDICATE ON SIGN UP WHETHER
OR NOT THEY ARE WILLING TO BE
RECONTACTED FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
PROJECTS.
AND SO HE AND HIS TEAM ARE
RECORDING EACH PARTICIPANT WITH
THESE DEVICES FOR ABOUT 2-3
WEEKS EVERY NIGHT AND REALLY
AWESOME PART OF THIS IS THEY ARE
MEDICINALLY RELEASING THE RAW
DATA TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO IT CAN ALL BE ACCESSED.
AND THIS IS A PART OF A LARGER
PURGE FOR DEEPER PHENOTYPING OF
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER.
NOW IN ADDITION TO THE COHORTS
AND INVESTIGATION INTO THE
GENETICS OF AUTISM, SAFARI FUNDS
RESEARCH ON THE BASIC SCIENCE
UNDERLYING AUTISM AND PROVIDES A
HOST OF RESOURCES ON THE AUTISM
BRAIN.
A REPOSITORY OF BRAINS FROM
PEOPLE WITH AUTISM FOR RESEARCH
PURPOSES.
THERE IS REPOSITORY FOR CELL
MODELS WITH THE NANCY LORI MARKS
FOUNDATION.
WE HAVE MOUSE MODELS OF AUTISM
AVAILABLE.
RAT MODELS AVAILABLE, ZEBRAFISH
MODELS.
SAFARI GENE AND SAFARI BASE IS A
REPOSITORY OF GENETIC
INFORMATION ALONG WITH DATA
ANALYSIS AND TOOLS AND THE
RESEARCH MATCH I JUST TOLD YOU
USING FOR THE SLEEP STUDY
THROUGH SPARK.
WE ALSO ARE CONDUCTING CLINICAL
RESEARCH TRIAL THROUGH CLINICAL
RESEARCH ASSOCIATES ON ON AUT
AUTISM.
ACROSS ALL OF OUR AUTISM AND
NEUROSCIENCE DIVISION, WE RUN
EARLY CAREER PROGRAMS.
AND SO WE RECOGNIZE THE
DIVERSITY AMONG INVESTIGATORS
IMPROVES INNOVATION AND
SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION.
OUR EARLY CAREER PROGRAMS AIM TO
CRATE PATHWAYS, ADVANCE CAREERS
AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO
CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE RESEARCH
ENVIRONMENT.
WE HOPE TO WELCOME NEW VOICES,
PERSPECTIVES, EXPERIENCE,
TRAINING BACKGROUNDS AND IN THE
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY SO WE CAN
BENEFIT FROM EVERYONE'S
CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO WE HAVE TWO EARLY CAREER
PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON TWO
DIFFERENT STAGES.
THE FIRST ARE THE INDEPENDENCE
AWARDS AND THESE ARE FOCUSED OAT
TRANSITION FROM SENIOR POSTDOC
TO JUNIOR FACULTY.
THESE ARE VERY SIMILAR IN SCOPE
TO THE K99 RO1 MECHANISM RUN BY
THE NIH.
AND SO, THESE ARE FOR SENIOR
POSTDOCS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED
GROUPS ACTIVELY SEEKING FACULTY
POSITIONS.
THEY RUN ACROSS ALL OF OUR
PROGRAMS, THE GLOBAL BRAIN,
AGING BRAIN AND SAFARI.
NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE
SUNSETTING OF THE GLOBAL BRAIN,
THEY ARE JUST GOING TO BE RUN
OUT OF THE AGING BRAIN AND
SAFARI, BUT WE WILL EXPAND THESE
INTO THE SCIENTIFIC AREAS OF THE
NEW COLLABORATIONS AS SOON AS
THOSE ARE IDENTIFIED.
THEY PROVIDE UP TO TWO YEARS OF
POSTDOCTORAL FUNDING AND 3 YEAR
RESEARCH AWARD UPON ACCEPTANCE
OF A FACULTY POSITION.
THE NEXT EARLY CAREER PROGRAM
THAT WE SUPPORT IS CALLED THE
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
FELLOWSHIP IN NEUROSCIENCE.
THIS IS NAMED AFTER SHA NOW WHO
HAD GREAT INFLUENCE OVER OUR
SIMONS COLLABORATION ON GLOBAL
BRAIN.
AND REALLY IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS
FOCUS ON TRAINING AND MENTORING.
AND THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS
TO SPARK AND SUSTAIN INTEREST IN
NEUROSCIENCE AMONG UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE
BACKGROUNDS, UNDER REPRESENTED
IN NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH.
SO ONE OF THE INTERESTING
FEATURES OF THIS PROGRAM IS, WE
SOLICIT FROM ANYONE WE FUND
ACROSS GLOBAL BRAIN, AGING BRAIN
AND SAFARI, THE OPPORTUNITY TO
HOST A UNDERGRADUATE AND ASK
THEM TO PROVIDE, TO DESIGNATE A
MENTOR FOR THE UNDERGRADUATE,
WHETHER IT BE GRAD STUDENT,
POSTDOC OR STAFF SCIENTIST.
AND WRITE UP A SMALL -- GIVE US
INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT OF
THE UNDERGRADUATE WHY WILL BE
WORKING ON.
ONCE WE HAVE THOSE, WE PUT A PIN
IN EACH OF THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE
GEOGRAPHICALLY.
AND DRAW A CIRCLE AROUND IT.
AND THIS IS BECAUSE FIRST OF
ALL, WE WANT THIS TO BE AN
IN-PERSON RESEARCH EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN, WE REACH OUT TO ANY
DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTION IN
THAT CATCH MAN AREA AND WHETHER
THEY BE COMMUNITY COLLEGES,
ANYONE WHO GRANTS A DEGREE, AND
INVITE THEM UNDERGRADS TO APPLY.
SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE AT THE
SAME INSTITUTION WHERE THE LAB
ALREADY IS.
WE PROVIDE A GOOD SALARY TO WORK
FOR 10 HOURS A WEEK FOR THE
ENTIRE ACADEMIC YEAR.
AND IMPORTANTLY, WHEN WE ARE
VALUING THE APPLICATIONS OF THE
UNDERGRADUATES, WE COUNTER
WEIGHT PAST EXPERIENCE IN
RESEARCH.
SO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HAD
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE ARE GOING TO
BE MORE LIKELY TO GET A RESEARCH
OPPORTUNITY.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE UNDERGRAD
APPLICATIONS ARE -- WILL BE OPEN
ON MARCH 23 AND THEY WILL BE DUE
MAY 4.
SO IF YOU FOLLOW THIS QR CODE
AND YOU KNOW ANY GREAT
UNDERGRADS WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO
COMMUTE TO ONE OF THE PLACES,
WHICH ARE ALL GOING TO BE LISTED
ON THE WEBSITE VERY SOON, PLEASE
ENCOURAGE THEM TO APPLY.
IN ADDITION TO JUST THE RESEARCH
FUNDING AND THE MATCHING, WE
PROVIDE INCLUSIVE MENTORING,
TRAINING FOR THE MENTORS, CODING
CAMP FOR THE UNDERGRADS, CAREER
DEVELOPMENT THINGS LIKE HELP
WITH GRAD SCHOOL AND POSTBAC
APPLICATIONS AND GUIDANCE.
WE ALSO FACILITATE COMMUNITY
MOSTLY VIRTUALLY BECAUSE THIS IS
DISTRIBUTED.
AND WE BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER
ONCE A YEAR FOR RESEARCH
SYMPOSIUM AT THE SIMONS
FOUNDATION.
SO JUST TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME
UPCOMING FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
OUT OF OUR AUTISM AND
NEUROSCIENCE DIVISION.
FROM SAFARI, THERE ARE TWO
UPCOMING OPEN RFAs.
ONE IS FOR PILOT AND
CONTINUATION FUNDING.
AND THIS ONE IS FOR NOVEL
EXPLORATORY, HIGH RISK AND
POTENTIALLY HIGH IMPACT PROJECTS
STUDYING AUTISM SPECTRUM
DISORDER.
AND THERE IS TWO PARTS, EITHER
FIRST YOU MUST GET A PILOT AWARD
AND THEN ONCE THE PILOT AWARD IS
SUCCESSFUL, YOU CAN APPLY TO THE
SAME RFA FOR A CONTINUATION
AWARD.
WE ARE GOING TO BE RUNNING A
TARGETED RFA OUT OF SAFARI
BRIDGING EARLY NEURODEVELOPMENT
AND EMERGING NEUROCIRCUITS.
THIS RFA WILL THE INVITE
DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGISTS TO
COLLABORATE TO IDENTIFY
CONVERGENT CHANGES IN AUTISM
RELEVANT CIRCUITS.
AND IF YOU FOLLOW THE QR CODE
HERE YOU CAN GET MORE
INFORMATION ON BOTH OF THOSE.
WE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE HAVING A
NEUROSCIENCE COURSES AND
CONFERENCES RFA.
AND APPLICATIONS FOR THIS OPEN
APRIL 1 AND THEY ARE DUE ABOUT A
MONTH AND A HALF LATER.
AND WE ARE SEEKING TO FUND
COURSES OR CONFERENCES IN
NEUROSCIENCE.
WE WILL PRIORITIZE COURSES AND
CONFERENCE THAT IS ALIGN WITH
OUR SCIENTIFIC MISSIONS OF THE
GLOBAL BRAIN AND THE AGING BRAIN
BUT WE WELCOME APPLICATIONS FROM
ANY COURSE OR CONFERENCE ACROSS
NEUROSCIENCE.
AND WE ALSO HIGHLY ENCOURAGE
APPLICATIONS FOR COURSES AND
CONFERENCES THAT ARE HELD OR
ORGANIZED BY PEOPLE IN REGIONS
OF THE WORLD FOR OPPORTUNITIES
FOR NEUROSCIENCE COURSES AND
CONFERENCES.
THIS COURSES AND CONFERENCES RFA
IS MODELED OFF OF ONE THAT WE
DID IN THE GLOBAL BRAIN
EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL AND IS
TRULY WORLDWIDE.
WE FUND COURSES THROUGH THE
GLOBAL RUN CURRENTLY IN PLACES
FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO THE MIDDLE
EAST, TO INDIA TO CHINA.
AND TO THE UNITED STATES.
AND SO WE HOPE TO REPLICATE
SOMETHING SORT OF PAN
NEUROSCIENCE HERE AS WELL.
ANOTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITY I
WANTED TO LET THIS GROUP KNOW
ABOUT, THAT IS NOT STRICTLY
NEUROSCIENCE BUT ENCOMPASSES
NEUROSCIENCE IS THE SCIENCE
FOUNDATION PIVOT FELLOWSHIP.
WHAT THIS IS, WE ARE LOOKING FOR
FACULTY MEMBERS WITH A STRONG
TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS IN
ACHIEVEMENT IN THE CURRENT
FIELD.
THAT ARE LOOKING TO MAKE A PIVOT
AND HAVE A DEEP INTEREST IN
CURIOSITY AND DRIVE TO MAKE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO NEW DISCIPLINE.
THE WAY THIS IS SET UP IS THAT
WE WILL FUND ONE TRAINING YEAR
WHERE THE FELLOW WILL GET TO BE
EMBEDDED IN THE LAB OF A MENTOR
TO LEARN THE NEW DISCIPLINE AND
LITTLE CULTURE.
AND THEN, WE FIND THAT THERE ARE
TWO OPPORTUNITIES OR 2 OUTCOMES
THAT ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
EITHER THIS PERSON GOES AND
LEARNS SOMETHING NEW AND BRINGS
IT BACK TO THEIR OLD FIELD,
WHICH IS A HUGE SUCCESS.
OR, THE PERSON LEARNS SOMETHING
NEW AND DECIDES TO PIVOT INTO
THAT NEW FIELD, AND WHEN THAT
HAPPENS WE WILL GIVE THE FELLOWS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR A
FULL RESEARCH AWARD IN THE NEW
FIELD WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE
FELLOWSHIP ENDING.
AND SO, THE APPLICATION FOR THIS
WILL OPEN MARCH 1 AND THEY WILL
BE DUE MAY 15 AND YOU CAN FIND
THAT INFORMATION BY FOLLOWING
OUR QR CODE.
OKAY, FINALLY, ANOTHER COMPONENT
OF NEUROSCIENCE HAPPENING AT THE
SCIENCE FOUNDATIONING IT OUR
INTRAMURAL RESEARCH GROUP AT THE
FLATIRON INSTITUTE.
THE FLATIRON INSTITUTION MISSION
IS TO ADVANCE SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH THROUGH COMPUTATIONAL
METHODS, INCLUDING DATA
ANALYSIS, MODELING AND
SIMULATION.
AND WE HAVE FIVE CENTERS.
THE CENTER FOR COMPUTATIONAL
ASTROPHYSICS, THE CENTER FOR
COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY, THE
CENTER FOR COMPUTATIONAL
MATHEMATICS, CENTER FOR
COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE AND
THE CENTER FOR COMPUTATIONAL
QUANTUM PHYSICS.
THESE ARE ALL SUPPORTED
SIGNIFICANTLY BY THE SCIENTIFIC
COMPUTING CORE, WHICH SUPPORTS
THE INFRASTRUCTURE OR THE
COMPUTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT
BACKS ALL THESE INITIATIVES.
I'M GOING TO ZOOM IN AND TELL
YOU GUYS ABOUT THE CENTER FOR
COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE.
THEIR MISSION IS TO DEVELOP
MODELS, PRINCIPLES AND
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS THAT
DEEPEN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF BRAIN
FUNCTION IN HEALTH AND DISEASE.
THEY TAKE A SYSTEM NEUROSCIENCE
APPROACH BUILDING MODELS FROM
EXPERIMENTAL DATA BY CAPTURING
KEY FEATURES OF NEUROCIRCUITS
THAT CAN GLEEN INSIGHT INTO
PERCEPTION, COGNITION, BEHAVIOR.
THIS APPROACH THEY BELIEVE, IS
NOT ONLY FOR A ROBUST MODEL
EXPERIENCE FOR INVESTIGATING
LARGE AND COMPLEX DATASETS.
IT ALSO SPURS THE EFFORTS BY THE
MACHINE LEARNING COMMUNITY TO
DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY INSPIRED BY
THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF THE BRAIN.
AND WE HAVE FOUR PI-LEVEL
FACULTY WITHIN THE CENTER FOR
COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE.
OUR TWO SENIOR FACULTY ARE -- [
INAUDIBLE ]
AND OUR TWO MORE JUNIOR FACULTY
ARE -- [ INAUDIBLE ]
AND ALL FOUR OF THEM HAVE
RESEARCH GROUPS THAT ARE BASED
AT THE FLATIRON INSTITUTE AT THE
SIMONS FOUNDATION IN NEW YORK.
THE FINAL NEUROSCIENCE
INITIATIVE THAT I WANT TO DRAW
YOUR ATTENTION TO IS CALLED THE
TRANSMITTER.
THE TRANSMITTER IS A
NEWLY-LAUNCHED PUBLICATION
FOCUSED ON INFORMING
NEUROSCIENCE ABOUT
NEUROSCIENTISTS ABOUT NOTEWORTHY
DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE FIELD
AND ON FORGING CONNECTIONS
WITHIN THE NEUROSCIENCE
COMMUNITY.
THEY ASPIRE TO BECOME ESSENTIAL
RESOURCE FOR NEUROSCIENTISTS AT
ALL CAREER STAGES AND TO HELP
THEM STAY CURRENT AND BUILD
CONNECTIONS.
THIS PUBLICATION AIMS TO DELIVER
INSIGHTS AND TOOLS TO BUILD
BRIDGES ACROSS NEUROSCIENCE AND
PROPEL RESEARCH FORWARD.
AND THEY REALLY THINK THAT
TRANSMITTERS REFLECTS THEIR
VISION.
THEY AIM TO BE FLOURISHING
COLLABORATIONS AND WHERE THE
NEUROSCIENCE COMMUNITY WILL BE
TRANS-- THIS IS OUR COHORT, OUR
FIRST COHORT OF CONTRIBUTING
EDITORS.
THEY ARE A CORE GROUP OF
ADVISORS FROM DIFFERENT
SUBFIELDS, FIELDS OF
NEUROSCIENCE, HELPING TO SHAPE
THE TRANSMITTER.
SO I WON'T READ THEIR NAMES BUT
YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THEM HERE.
AND THEY HAVE FOCUS INITIALLY ON
INCLUDING MORE REGULAR SCIENTIST
WRITTEN MATERIAL IN THIS
PUBLICATION AND THEY ARE DOING
THIS IN MULTIPLE FORMS.
NOT JUST OPINION STORIES.
THEY ARE LAUNCHING THINGS LIKE
SCIENTIST WRITTEN ESSAYS AND
DATA SHARING ESSAYS WHICH
EXPLORES THE BENEFITS AND
CHALLENGES OF DATA SHARING AND
THEY ALSO HAVE REOCCURRING
COLUMNS SUCH AS HOW TO TEACH
THIS PAPER, WHICH IS A SERIES
THAT GUIDES EDUCATORS AND SELF
LEARNERS THROUGH RESEARCH
NEUROSCIENCE PAPERS.
THEY HAVE A PODCAST CALLED
SYNAPTIC, WHICH IS EXPLORING THE
PEOPLE, THE SCIENCE DID THE
CHALLENGES IN NEUROSCIENCE.
ALSO SOME OF THE MOST READ
FEATURES SO FAR INCLUDE, MAKING
CANCER NERVOUS AND WHAT DRIFTING
REPRESENTATIONS REVEAL ABOUT THE
BRAIN.
SO I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO
VISIT THE TRANSMITTER.
YOU CAN DO SO BY FOLLOWING THIS
QR CODE AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED
IN BECOMING A -- EXPERT
CONTRIBUTESSOR, PLEASE REACH OUT
AND CONTACT THEM HERE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
ATTENTION AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO
TELL YOU ABOUT THE NEUROSCIENCE
GOING - AT THE SIMONS FOUNDA
FOUNDATION.
>> THANK YOU THAT WAS A TERRIFIC
PRESENTATION AND IT'S EXCITING
TO HEAR ABOUT ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT YOU HAVE
TARGETING VERY DIFFERENT GROUPS
AND I WAS ALSO PARTICULARLY
INTERESTED IN THE LAST BIT THAT
YOU TALKED ABOUT WITH THE
TRANSMITTER BECAUSE I THINK
THOSE ARE SUCH CRITICAL ASPECTS
TO WHAT WE DO AND TO HAVE
IMPACT.
SO APPRECIATE IT AND I WILL
DEFINITELY LOOK AT IT.
SO THANK YOU.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS?
>> THAT WAS A GREAT OVERVIEW OF
WHAT THE FOUNDATION IS DOING.
IT'S GRATIFYING TO SEE HOW THE
DIFFERENT PARTNERS CAN REALLY
CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECOSYSTEM IN
SUCH A INTERESTING WAY.
I MEAN, WE'RE AWARE OF WHAT EACH
OTHER IS DOING BUT IT'S NOT LIKE
WE ARE NECESSARILY PLANNING
THESE THINGS OUT, PER SE WHEN
NOBODY IS TELLING EACH OTHER TO
DO OR NOT TO DO BUT IT'S
REMARKABLE HOW WE CAN FIND THESE
NATURALLY GOOD FITS AND REALLY
LIFT THE ENTIRE FIELD BY
CONTRIBUTING IN THESE DIFFERENT
DOMAINS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I VERY MUCH AGREE THE WAYS WE
WORK TOGETHER HAVE BEEN REALLY
GRATIFYING.
>> FRANK?
>> ALYSSA, GREAT PRESENTATION
AND FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE
PRESENTATION SO IMPRESSED BY ALL
OF THESE LAYERS OF OMICS AND
INFORMATION OF AUTISM.
AND I'M WONDERING AUTISM IS A
TRICKY AREA BECAUSE THERE ARE
MANY DIFFERENT KINDS.
THAT'S A CONTEXT OF ANY
QUESTIONS.
TO WHAT EXTENT YOUR PROGRAMS
HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN CANDIDATE
THERAPEUTIC TARGETS OR
MECHANISMS AND TO WHAT EXTENT
HAVE THOSE BEEN HARNESSED BY
EITHER ACADEMICS OR INDUSTRY AND
CANDIDATE THERAPEUTICS CREATED
OR TESTED.
I MEAN, IS IT TOO EARLY FOR
THAT?
HOW DOES THAT FIT?
>> SO I WILL SAY FIRST OF ALL
THAT SAFARI IS NOT MY MAIN
FOCUS.
SO I CAN ANSWER ON A GENERAL
LEVEL AND REFER YOU TO FOR
EXAMPLE, KELSEY MARTIN WHO
OVERSEES THE AUTISM AND
NEUROSCIENCE DIVISION FOR A MORE
DETAILED ANSWER.
WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON THE BASIC
SCIENCE UNDERLYING AUTISM AND
SO, WE HAVE NOT BEEN DIRECTLY
INVOLVED WITH GENERATING
THERAPEUTICS BUT I KNOW THAT
IT'S A HOPE COMING OUT OF THIS
WORK.
AND I WILL DEFER YOU TO KELSEY
FOR MORE DETAILED ANSWER TO THAT
QUESTION.
>> YES, THANK YOU.
AND CONCEPTUALLY, I HAVE ALWAYS
WONDERED FOR EFFORTS THAT
PRIORITIZE BASIC MECHANISM
ELUCIDATION WHICH IS A CRITICAL
BEDROCK, TO WHAT EXTENT DOES
ATTEMPTING THERAPEUTICS HELP THE
BASIC PROCESS IN TERMS OF A FEED
BACK LOOP OF REALITY, RIGHT?
OUR CONSTRUCT OF A BASIC
MECHANISM CAN BE TESTED BY A
THERAPEUTIC ATTEMPT AND DOES
THAT STILL -- IS THAT STILL PART
OF THE BASIC RESEARCH IS MAKING
THAT ATTEMPT?
I THINK THERE IS A WIDE VIEW OF
OPINIONS ON THAT.
SOME WILL SAY THE THERAPEUTIC
ATTEMPT IS PREMATURE, DON'T
WASTE RESOURCES OR TIME.
I HAVE TO ADMIT MY BIAS IS,
THOSE ATTEMPTS HELP INFORM OUR
BASIC CONSTRUCTS OF WHETHER THEY
ARE RIGHT OR WRONG.
SO IT'S AN INTERESTING AREA FOR
ME.
>> I MEAN I THINK THOSE ARE ALL
VERY GOOD POINTS AND I THINK
THESE ARE THINGS WE ARE THINKING
DEEPLY ABOUT AND RIGHT NOW WE
ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A DEEP
STRATEGIC PLAN ABOUT HOW WE ARE
MOVING FORWARD IN SAFARI AND THE
NEUROSCIENCE COLLABORATIONS BUT
MAINLY FOCUSED ON SAFARI AND SO,
I'M GOING TO WITH HOLD ON
ACTUALLY ANSWERING THAT QUESTION
BECAUSE THAT'S THE QUESTION WE
ARE STRUGGLING WITH.
>> SURE.
HAPPY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT IF
THAT'S HELPFUL.
THANK YOU.
>> SAMEER.
>> THANK YOU.
THAT WAS REALLY INSPIRING.
KIND OF LIKE FRANK'S QUESTION
MAYBE AND ALSO SORT OF WHAT JOHN
WAS MENTIONING THE OPPOSITE, THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHAT THE
SIMONS FOUNDATION IS DOING AND
WHAT THE BRAIN INITIATIVE IS
DOING IN FUNDING, RIGHT?
SO JOHN SAID WE ARE AWARE OF
EACH OTHER.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION -- IT'S
A PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION AND
MAYBE A NAIVE ONE, I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT DOES SIMON FOUNDATION THINK
ABOUT WHAT NIH MAYBE MORE
SPECIFIC BRAIN, IS DOING IN
SIMILAR SPACES?
IS THERE A DESIRE TO KEEP
CLOSER, KEEP FURTHER AWAY?
DO YOUR OWN THING AND KIND OF AG
NOSTICALLY WORKING IN RELATION
TO WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
IS DOING?
--
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN I THINK IT'S A GREAT
QUESTION AND I THINK THAT WE --
ONE OF THE REASONS WE INTERACT
WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS
SO THAT WE DON'T DUPLICATE
EFFORT AND OUR EFFORTS CAN BE
SYNERGISTIC.
AND SO, I THINK THAT THE NIH AND
THE BRAIN INITIATIVE HAVE A
CENTRAL ROLE IN THIS ECOSYSTEM
AND WE HOPE THE SIMONS
FOUNDATION ROLE WILL BE
COMPLEMENTARY RATHER THAN
OVERLAPPING.
AND SO IN THOSE WAYS WE CAN WORK
TOGETHER AND PARTNER.
AND SO, THOSE ARE A LOT OF THE
THINGS WE ARE THINKING ABOUT AS
WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE
OF SAFARI AND THINKING ABOUT THE
NEXT STEPS OF THE NEUROSCIENCE
COLLABORATIONS AND WHAT WE ARE
GOING TO INVEST IN, WHAT THINGS
ARE BEING INVESTED BY THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE.
WHERE CAN WE MAKE A UNIQUE AND
COMPLEMENTARY IMPACT.
>> IF I COULD JUST JUMP IN.
I MEAN, IT'S ABOUT -- I THINK
IT'S ABOUT FINDING BOLD IDEAS
FOR THE FUTURE AND THEN HAVING
PEOPLE WITH CREATIVE IDEAS COME
IN AND SUPPORTING THEM.
SO ALYSSA, I REALLY APPRECIATE
THE FOUNDATION'S INTEREST IN
DEVELOPING A MORE DIVERSE
SELECTIVELY INVESTIGATOR BASE
THAT WILL HELP.
THE OTHER REALITY IS THAT IF YOU
LOOK AT THE FOLKS THAT THE
FOUNDATION FUNDS OR HAS FUNDED
AND THE FOLKS THAT RECEIVE
ROBUST FUNDING FOR BRAIN, IT'S A
DIAGRAM.
THERE IS A LOT OF SYNERGY THERE.
IT'S NOT DUPLICATIVE FUNDING.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS
ANY PROJECT FROM CONCEPT TO
EXECUTION TO WHATEVER YOU MIGHT
THINK OF AS A CAPSTONE PROJECT
OR INCLUSION, OCCURS IN PHASES.
THAT'S A BIT TONE LOGIC WHAT I
JUST SAID.
AND DIFFERENT FUNDERS HAVE
DIFFERENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
AND PLAY ROLES AT THESE
DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE PROJECT.
SO DIFFERENT MECHANISMS ARE
FUNDING WILL WORK IN SOME AREAS
BETTER AND NOT SO PERFECTLY IN
OTHERS.
AND I THINK THE REALLY COOL
THING IS THAT THE FOUNDATION,
OTHER FOUNDATIONS IN THIS SPACE,
AND THE NIH SUMMERY, ARE DOING
THE BEST TO LIFT THE ENTIRE
FIELD.
AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT AND TO BRING
NEW PEOPLE AND NEW IDEAS INTO
THE FIELD.
IT'S WORKED OUT.
NOT LIKE WE ARE NOT GOATS.
WE'RE NOT CONSPIRING IN ANY WAY.
I THINK THERE IS A COMMON SET OF
THINKERS BEHIND ALL OF THIS AND
I THINK THE KEY IS NOT TO HAVE
IT BE TOO IMBRED BUT TO BE
CONSTANTLY BRINGING IN NEW IDEAS
AND ENLIST THE ENTIRE FIELD AND
TO THE EXTENT THESE RESOURCES
ARE DISSEMINATED BROADLY,
EVERYBODY BENEFITS.
WE DEFINITELY WANT TO BE
WATCHING THIS.
THIS IS ONE REASON WHY WE
INDIVIDUAL BRAIN INITIATIVE SO
WE CAN TALK TO EACH OTHER.
THIS IS ONE REASON WHY WE
CREATED THE EX OFFICIO POSITION
FOR THE NON FEDERAL CO-CHAIR TO
MAKE SURE WE ARE AWARE OF WHAT
IS GOING ON AND TO SEE WHERE WE
CAN HELP NOT JUST EACH OTHER BUT
REALLY HELP THE FIELD IN
COMPLEMENTARY WAYS.
I'LL GET OFF MY SOAPBOX BUT
THANKS FOR THE COMMENTS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> THANK YOU.
IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO
HEAR THE BACKGROUND SUMMARY OF
WHAT THE SIMON FOUNDATION IS
DOING NOW.
MY QUESTION IS SORT OF A GENERAL
ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION AND IT'S
THAT ONE OF THE MAJOR STRAINS OF
SPARK HAS BEEN THE COMPTATIONAL
COMPONENTS OF IT, THE WAY OF
DOING GWAS ANALYSIS, GENE
DISCOVERY AND THE FIELDS ACROSS
DIFFERENT KINDS OF DISEASE
STATES.
SO NOW WITH THE FLATIRON
INSTITUTE WHERE YOU HAVE
MULTIPLE DIFFERENT
BIOCOMPTATIONAL GROUPS, HOW DO
THEY INTERACT?
I THINK THE SYNERGISM AND
CREATIVITY COULD BE CREATED
THROUGH THAT TYPE OF INTERACTION
LOOKING AT DIFFERENT TYPES OF
DATASETS MIGHT BE REALLY --
CERTAINLY THE BRAIN INITIATIVE
CLEARLY ADDRESSES IN THE STORAGE
AND CAN POTENTIALLY LEARN ABOUT
HOW TO THINK ABOUT THAT
SYNERGISM AND CREATIVITY.
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I FULLY AGREE.
AND ONE OF THE SIMONS
FOUNDATION, JIM SIMONS IS A
MATHEMATICIAN BY TRAINING WHICH
HAS DRIVEN A LOT OF OUR INITIAL
INVESTMENTS IN COMPUTATIONAL
WORK.
AND THE FLATIRON INSTITUTE AND
THE SIMONS FOUNDATION ARE
CO-LOCATED ON 21st AND
5th IN NEW YORK CITY AND WE
HAVE A VERY IN-PERSON MILL YOW
AND A LOT OF SCIENTIFIC
EXCHANGE.
THEIR WORK IS CONSTANTLY
INFLUENCING HOW WE THINK ABOUT
THINGS, HOW WE THINK ABOUT
THINGS AND THE CONNECTIONS WE
CAN MAKE BOTH ON THE OUTWARD
FUNDING SIDE AND IN HOUSE
COMPUTATIONAL SIDE ARE SOMETHING
WE ARE CONTINUALLY TRYING TO
FACILITATE AND FOSTER AND SO I
THINK JUST CONTINUING TO HAVE AN
EYE TOWARD HOW THE COMPUTATIONAL
ARM AND THEORETICAL CAN
INTERSECT WITH THE EXPERIMENTAL
AND BIOLOGICAL PORTIONS OF
SCIENCE IS SOMETHING THAT IS
REALLY IN THE ETHOS OF THE
SCIENCE FOUNDATION AND REWILL
CONTINUE TO DO.
>> JUST A QUICK FOLLOW-UP AND
I'LL TURN IT OVER.
SORT OF WONDERING ABOUT THE
DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE
DATASET.
SO BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT GROUPS
YOU HAVE AT THE FLATIRON.
AND THINKING ABOUT HOW TO MAKE
THAT GENERALLY APPLICABLE IS AN
OPPORTUNITY THAT DOESN'T REALLY
EXIST IN MANY PLACES.
>> I ABSOLUTELY AGREE.
WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM THE CENTER
FOR COMPUTATIONAL MATHEMATICS
COLLABORATING DEEPLY WITH PEOPLE
IN THE CENTER FOR COMPUTATIONAL
BIOLOGY AND THE CENTER FOR FOR
COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE AND
THE PENCIL THEORIES
COLLABORATING WITH OTHERS.
ALL WITHIN THE FLATIRON
INSTITUTE AND THEN ATTENDING
MEETINGS AT SAFARI AND
UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS GOING ON
IN THE NEUROSCIENCE
COLLABORATIONS.
SO I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH YOU.
I AM SURE THERE ARE MORE WAYS WE
CAN BE DOING THIS BUT
FACILITATING COLLABORATIONS AND
DIFFERENT LENSES ON THE DATA IS
ABSOLUTELY ON OUR MINDS.
>> GREAT PRESENTATION.
I WANTED TO SAY THAT OBVIOUSLY
SIMONS FOUNDATION HAS BEEN A
PIONEER IN SO MANY WAYS BUT ONE
WAY IN WHICH YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN
A REAL LEADER IS ON THE DATA
SHARING AND LONG TERM DATA
CURATION FROM SAFARI TO THE
CURRENT SIMONS COLLABORATIONS
AND I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A
CHALLENGE OF BRAIN INITIATIVE TO
NOT ONLY FUND BIG DATA SHARING
AND DISSEMINATION PROJECTS WHICH
WE ARE DOING, BUT ALSO THINKING
ABOUT LONG TERM DATA STORAGE.
WE ARE COLLECTING MASSIVE
DATASETS AND THE HOW ARE WE
GOING TO PROVIDE THEM AS A
RESOURCE OVER THE VERY LONG
TERM?
AND I THINK WHAT IS SO EXCITING
ABOUT THE COORDINATION BETWEEN
THESE DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS IS
THAT THE SIMONS LEADERSHIP ON
THIS FRONT CAN REALLY HELP BRAIN
INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP THE LONG
TERM VISION FOR LONG TERM
STORAGE AND DATA.
IT'S USUALLY NOT THE MOST
EXCITING ASPECT OF WHAT WE DO.
WE WANT TO FUND NEW PROJECTS BUT
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT,
ESPECIALLY AS THE DATASETS GET
MORE COMPLEX AND LARGER.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAD
THOUGHTS ON HOW WE CAN WORK
TOGETHER AND WHAT WE CAN DO
MOVING FORWARD TO SORT OF MAKE
THAT A REALITY WITH LONG TERM
DATA SUPPORT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK ESPECIALLY IF WE START
WITH NEUROSCIENCE COLLABORATIONS
AND LEARNING FROM SAFARI ON WHAT
THEY HAVE DONE ESPECIALLY IN THE
AUTISM GENETICS WORLD.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE DEEPLY
PLANNING FOR IS NOT ONLY HO HOW
TO FUND THE CURRENT RESEARCH BUT
HOW TO SUPPORT WHERE THAT DATA
IS GOING TO GO, HOW LONG THE
LIFE OF THAT DATA IS GOING TO
BE.
AND THE ACTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE
LIKE LIKE THE PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT ALL HAS TO
BE WRITTEN UP AND FUNDED AS PART
OF THE NEW NEUROSCIENCE
COLLABORATIONS GOING FORWARD.
IT'S NOT SEPARATE FROM THE WORK.
IT IS INTEGRATED INTO THE WORK.
AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO BRING IN
OR HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND HOW
WE ARE THINKING ABOUT IT AND
LEARNING FROM OTHERS HOW THEY
ARE THINKING ABOUT IT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT
WAY TO WORK TOGETHER.
JOHN, GO AHEAD.
>> THANK YOU.
WE DEFINITELY ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO LEARNING FROM YOU AND
HOPEFULLY EACH OTHER IN THIS
VERY RAPIDLY-EVOLVING SPACE.
I ALWAYS SAID IF WE DON'T KNOW
THE DATA IT WILL EAT US ALIVE.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
CURRENTLY OUR BIGGEST DATA
GENERATING PROJECT IS THE CELL
CENSUS PROJECT BUT WE GOT THE
CONNECT ACTIVITY I PROJECT
COMING DOWN THE LINE.
WE HAVE BRAIN BEHAVIORAL
SYNCHRONIZATION.
CELL CENSUS PROJECT.
BUT WE ARE DOING THE BEST TO SET
VERY HIGH STANDARDS FOR NOT JUST
OURSELVES BUT FOR THE FIELD SO
THE DATA WILL BE TRULY
ACCESSIBLE AND INTEROPERABLE AND
REUSABLE.
NOT JUST AN ACRONYM BUT WALK THE
WALK.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF
INTERACTION BETWEEN THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE AND CELL CENSUS
PROJECT AND THE HUMAN CELL ATLAS
PROJECT.
AND I THINK IT'S HAVING THE
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THESE
PROGRAMS THROUGH THE
INVESTIGATORS SO WILL HELP
FACILITATE THIS MUTUAL LEARNING
EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE
WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND
HOPEFULLY LEARNING A FEW TRICKS
WE CAN BORROW AS WELL.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE
HAVE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM
OUR INVESTIGATORS IS NOT JUST
SIMPLY HOUSING AND STORING THE
DATA.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
IT'S FUNDING PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY
CONTINUALLY BE ON TOP OF THESE
DATABASES AND USER INTERFACES
AND TOOLS PEOPLE CAN'T ACCESS
AND UNDERSTAND THE DATA.
IT'S JUST GOING TO SIT THERE.
SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS
WE ARE PLANNING FOR AND FUNDING
AS PART OF THESE AWARDS MOVING
FORWARD.
>> RIGHT.
AND ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES WE
CREATED FOR OURSELVES, JUST
USING THE CELL CENSUS PROJECT AS
AN EXAMPLE.
IT'S NOT THE BEGINNING OR END.
HOW DO YOU GO FROM HAVING THESE
LARGE DATABASES LIKE STUFF YOU
BASICALLY CALL THEM STORAGE AND
TURN THAT INTO A KNOWLEDGE BASE?
AND USE IT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A FUN
CHALLENGE TO ADDRESS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> GREAT.
IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IT WAS A PLEASURE TALKING TO YOU
TODAY.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
GREAT PRESENTATION.
UNLESS ANYBODY HAS ANY MORE
GENERAL QUESTIONS, WE HAVE A
LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FOR OUR
BREAK.
BUT JUST OPEN IT UP BEFORE THEN
IN CASE ANYONE HAS ANYTHING ELSE
TO ASK JOHN OR ANYBODY ELSE IN
THE ROOM.
>> I HAD A GENERAL QUESTION.
IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS LAST
POINT, BEING ABLE TO FULLY
LEVERAGE ALL OF THIS DATA, I'M
ON AN NIA-FUNDED GROUP PROJECT
IDENTIFYING THERAPEUTIC
CANDIDATES AND I'D SAY ABOUT
HALF OF OUR TEAM ARE DATA
SCIENTISTS AND THE OTHER HALF
ARE BIOLOGY PEOPLE LIKE ME.
AND IT'S BEEN FASCINATING
OBSERVING.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT TRAINING AND
EXPERIENCE AND I THINK THERE IS
STILL A BIG GAP THERE.
I DON'T KNOW AS A BIOLOGICAL
THINKER I'M CAPABLE OF FULLY
LEVERAGING THESE DATASETS.
AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES WHO
DEVOTED CAREERS TO DATA SCIENCE,
THEY HAVEN'T SPENT 20-30 YEARS
THINKING ABOUT THESE BIOLOGIC
PROBLEMS.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT ARE
BETTER WAYS TO FLAIRO THIS GAP?
WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY, BUT I
COULD JUST SEE THE THINKING IS
DIFFERENT.
I MEAN EVEN WITH INTERFACES AND
EVERYTHING.
I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEONE LIKE ME
SITTING DOWN WITH ONE OF THESE
DATABASES COULD FULLY LEVERAGE
IT.
SO I THINK MAYBE THERE IS ROOM
FOR DEVELOPING THAT CAPABILITY
OR BRIDGING THOSE AREAS.
>> I AGREE, FRANK.
I THINK THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT
THE TRAINING THAT FOLKS COMING
INTO THE FIELD NOW WHO ARE
ENTERING THE FIELD NOW, THE I
DON'T THINKER -- I'LL BE BLUNT.
THE YOUNGER FOLKS.
ARE GETTING MORE OF THIS.
IT'S MORE IN THEIR FABRIC OF THE
TRAINING COMING IN.
SO, I BELIEVE THAT HAVING THIS
KIND OF QUANTITATIVE TRAINING,
MANY OF US HAVE QUANTITATIVE
COMING IN, BUT COMBINED WITH THE
BIOLOGY EARLIER IN THEIR
EDUCATIONAL LIFETIME WHEN THEY
ARE STILL MORE PLASTIC THAN SOME
OF US, WILL HELP.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT'S NOT JUST ENOUGH TO
COLLABORATE WITH FOLKS WHO KNOW
IT.
AND I HAD JUST LITERAL JOY OF
WORKING WITH PEOPLE IN
STATISTICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE.
AND THE JOY CAME BECAUSE WE KIND
OF GOT EACH OTHER.
AND MAYBE THAT WAS A HAPPY
ACCIDENT BUT WHEN YOU FIND IT,
DON'T LET GO OF IT.
AND IT'S A MATTER OF THEY'RE
LOOKING IN MANY CASES FOR A
REALLY TOUGH PROBLEM-SOLVE AND
AT WHO POINT THE STATISTICIAN
SAID WE LIKE YOUR CRAPPY DATA
BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE TO
EVOLVE A BETTER WAY OF DEALING
WITH IT.
BUT MORE DEEP BIOLOGICAL
QUESTIONS WE FRANKLY DON'T HAVE
A WAY OF GETTING AT AND TO HAVE
THEM APPLY FUNDAMENTAL
QUANTITATIVE PRINCIPLES TO THAT
TO FIND SLIDESES IS
EXHILARATING.
AND NOW WE ARE ENTERING A NEW
AREA OF AI WHERE WE HAVE TO BE
MINDFUL OF WHERE THE GROUND
TRUTH IS OR WE MIGHT WIND UP
LOST.
BUT THERE REALLY IS A HUGE
OPPORTUNITY TO EXTRACT FROM THE
DATA INFORMATION THAT WE
LITERALLY DON'T FULLY APPRECIATE
EXIST OR NOT IN A WAY WE CAN
LEVERAGE.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN DO THIS
BUT IT WILL TAKE A COLLABORATION
AND BEING ABLE TO TALK THE SAME
LANGUAGE AT SOME LEVEL.
AND I THINK HOPEFULLY THROUGH
BRINGING IN MORE DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES ON TO OUR TEAMS
WILL GET THOSE CONVERSATIONS
GOING AND HOW TO TEACH PEOPLE TO
SPEAK A COMMON LANGUAGE.
THAT'S A HIGH-LEVEL ENTHUSIAST
OPTIMISTIC VIEW BUT I THINK THIS
IS SOMETHING WE CAN ASPIRE TO.
WE WILL HAVE TO IF WE'RE GOING
TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY ALSO, WITH
RESPECT TO TRAINING, ONE OF THE
ISSUES THAT I'M INVOLVED WITH
THE HBCD RESEARCH PROJECT, VERY,
VERY LARGE INITIATIVES
COLLECTING A LOT OF DATA, AND
THERE ARE ISSUES AROUND THE
ETHICAL USE OF DATA AS WELL.
SO NOT JUST TRAINING PEOPLE HOW
TO USE THE DATA AND WHAT THEY
NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHEN SETTING
UP THEIR MODELS, BUT WE'RE
ALREADY SEEING INSTANCES WHERE
THERE WAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR
UNETHICAL USE OF INFORMATION
TOWARDS WHICH COULD HURT
PARTICULAR POPULATIONS OR
POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS.
SO I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF
TRAINING AND THINKING ABOUT HOW
THE DATA ARE BEING USED THAT
NEEDS TO HAPPEN AS WE GO
FORWARD.
>> I'LL JUST ADD FRANK, TO YOUR
POINT ABOUT THE UNDERSTANDING
AND THE COLLABORATION.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
DEFINITELY NOT THE ONLY WAY TO
DO IT, BUT ONE OF THE SUCCESS
SYSTEM OF OUR GLOBAL BRAIN
COLLABORATION IS AT THE VERY
OUTSET WE PUT OUT A CALL FOR
AWARDS THAT WERE BOTH THEORY AND
COMPUTATION AND THAT WENT
HAND-IN-HAND TOGETHER.
WE FUNDED THOSE AWARDS WITH THAT
FRAME, WE ALSO DESIGNED PROGRAMS
AND FACILITATED THEM GETTING
TOGETHER IN PERSON AND OTHERWISE
TO SORT OF HAVE THEM TALK
TOGETHER, USE THE SAME WORDS,
DEEPLY UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
SO IT DOES TAKE A CONCERTED
EFFORT TO THE HAVE OR TO
OVERCOME THESE LANGUAGE BARRIERS
AND SORT OF -- IT'S NOT EACH
CONCEPTUAL.
IT'S THE WORDS YOU USE AROUND IT
AND THE LINEAGE OF YOUR
BACKGROUND IS SO DIFFERENT.
AND IT TAKES TWO PEOPLE BEING
REALLY COMMITTED.
AND I THINK JOHN IS RIGHT.
WE HAVE TO DO IT BUT THAT WAS
ONE WAY THAT WE FOUND IT TO BE
VERY SUCCESSFUL IS TO BE VERY
POINTED AND DIRECTED ABOUT
FUNDING THAT AND FACILITATING
THAT COLLABORATION.
>> I THINK?
IS GREAT.
I THINK THE FUNDING SOURCE IS
PROMOTING THAT AND IS VERY
HELPFUL.
THE OTHER GREAT OPPORTUNITY IS
WITH THE DATA SCIENCE RICH
APPROACHES AND DISHED AI
APPROACHES, IT BRINGS UP A SKILL
SET INNING IN WHEN TO DO AN
EXPERIMENT THAT HAS MASSIVE
IMPACT.
I THINK THAT IS EMERGING SKILL
SET TOO.
I CAN SEE OUR YOUNGER COLLEAGUES
IN THE TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE
GETTING MORE AND MORE OF THIS
CAPABILITY WHICH IS GREAT TO S
SEE.
>> SO IF THERE ARE NO OTHER
COMMENTS ON QUESTIONS, THANK YOU
ALL.
WE WILL RECONVENE AT 2:30.
SO YOU HAVE 40 MINUTES.
PLEASE USE THE NEW ZOOM LINK FOR
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND FOR
GOVERNMENT STAFF.
SO SEE YOU IN A LITTLE WHILE.
>> THANK YOU, ALL.
SEE YOU IN CLOSED SESSION.