NANDSC Fundamental Neuroscience Working Group

Final Report of the Fundamental Neuroscience Working Group

At the September 6, 2023, meeting of the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NANDS) Council, the Fundamental Neuroscience Working Group (FNWG) presented its recommendations. Please click on the link below to view the FNWG's final report and recommendations.

Advancing Fundamental Neuroscience Research: Report of the Fundamental Neuroscience Working Group of the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NANDS) Council(pdf, 915 KB)

Background

The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease for all people. Research on the development, structure, and function of the normal nervous system, or fundamental neuroscience (FN), is the foundation for achieving that mission. To address this important component of the research portfolio, NINDS convened a Fundamental Neuroscience Working Group (FNWG) of the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NANDS) Council to hold a series of meetings to discuss key issues and prepare a report to the NANDS Council with recommendations to inform NINDS approaches and plans to support and foster FN research.

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NINDS Fundamental Neuroscience Working Group Public Webinar
On July 27, 2023 from 12-1pm ET, the FNWG held a webinar open to the public. The FNWG presented draft recommendations to optimize or enhance current NINDS programs in support of the FN research mission and received public input on the proposed draft recommendations through a Q&A session. Members of the public were also encouraged to submit input in writing to fn@nih.gov by August 1, 2023.

Webinar Materials

Please click on the link below to view the draft recommendations the FNWG discussed at the webinar.

FNWG Draft Recommendations for the 7.27.23 Public Webinar(pdf, 306 KB)

Please click on the link below to view the slides presented at the webinar.

FNWG 7.27.23 Public Webinar Slides(pdf, 5441 KB)

Please click on the link below to view the webinar recording.

FNWG 7.27.23 Public Webinar Recording

Members of the public were encouraged to submit feedback or questions in writing to fn@nih.gov. The FNWG considered input submitted to fn@nih.gov by August 1, 2023 in its report to the NANDS Council on September 6, 2023.

Charge of the Committee

This NANDS Working Group provided scientific guidance via NANDS Council to NINDS on how best to advance FN research.

Consistent with this charge, this NANDS-WG:

  • Looked to the future of FN by identifying critical gaps, key unanswered questions and new opportunities in FN research.
  • Evaluated the effectiveness and potential of current NINDS programs to support the breadth of FN research.
  • Proposed and prioritized concepts and strategies with the potential to enhance the overall impact of NINDS FN research over the next 5-10 years.

Process, Deliverables, and Timeframe

This working group of the NANDS Council:

  • Considered specific recommendations to optimize or enhance current NINDS programs in support of the FN research mission.
  • Identified opportunities that NINDS could take to facilitate innovation and enable discoveries that are not currently addressed in FN.
  • Evaluated how the NINDS might support the development, refinement, dissemination and broad use of next generation technologies, approaches, or resources to open new areas of exploration.
  • Presented its final report of findings stemming from the above charge to the full NANDS Council.

Working Group Members

Yishi Jin, Ph.D. (Co-Chair)
Kavli Institute of Brain and Mind
University of California, San Diego

Timothy Ryan, Ph.D. (Co-Chair)
Weill Cornell Medical College
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Bruce Bean, Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School

David Clapham, M.D., Ph.D.
Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Marc Freeman, Ph.D.
Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University

José E. García Arrarás, Ph.D.
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

Alicia Dione Guemez-Gamboa, Ph.D.
Northwestern University

Shantá Hinton, Ph.D.
William & Mary

Oliver Hobert, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Sarah Kucenas, Ph.D.
University of Virginia      

Rejji Kuruvilla, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University

Wendy Macklin, Ph.D.
University of Colorado

Kelsey Martin, M.D., Ph.D.
Simons Foundation 

Linda Richards, AO, FAA, FAHMS, Ph.D.
Washington University in St. Louis

Amita Sehgal, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Weiwei Wang, Ph.D.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Contact

fn@nih.gov

 

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