Obama Unveils Bold Plan to Map the Human Brain

Alex Fitzpatrick2013-04-02 13:41:33 UTC

President Barack Obama on Tuesday unveiled an intrepid plan to develop tools that can better map the human brain, furthering scientists' understanding of how it works and how it can be healed when damaged. The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies initiative, or BRAIN, will begin with a $100 million investment in Obama's 2014 budget.

The White House is hopeful that BRAIN will result in the development of neural imaging technologies that will give scientists an unprecedented look at how different sections of the human brain interact in real-time speeds, potentially paving the pay for treatments for debilitating disorders such as Alzheimer’s and epilepsy.

"These technologies will open new doors to explore how the brain records, processes, uses, stores, and retrieves vast quantities of information, and shed light on the complex links between brain function and behavior," reads a White House press release on the BRAIN initiative.

During a White House event revealing the BRAIN project, Obama made the case that the program would provide an economic return on the government's investment and maintain America's status as a leader of global innovation.

"The most powerful computer in the world isn't nearly as intuitive as the one we're born with," said Obama.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) announced his support for the BRAIN initiative through his communications director:

Cantor: "Mapping the human brain is exactly the type of research we should be funding, by reprioritizing the $250 million..." 1/3

— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) April 2, 2013

Cantor cont: "...we currently spend on political and social science research into expanded medical research," 2/3

— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) April 2, 2013

Cantor cont: "...including the expedited mapping of the human brain. It's great science.” 3/3

— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) April 2, 2013

Three federal agencies will be at the forefront of the BRAIN initiative: The National Institutes of Health, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the National Science Foundation. DARPA, the Department of Defense's advanced research wing, is particularly interested in technology which could help doctors treat post-traumatic stress, brain injury, and memory loss — all of which can take a toll on soldiers' health.

Top academic leaders, including Dr. Cornelia Bargmann of The Rockefeller University and Dr. William Newsome of Stanford University, will guide the program. Obama will also ask a bioethics commission to explore any ethical issues raised by the BRAIN research.

The BRAIN initiative recalls the Human Genome Project, a 13-year U.S. Department of Energy-backed project begun in 1990 to identify and map human DNA structure.

What could scientists do with a better idea of how the human brain works? Share your ideas in the comments.

Image via iStockphoto, Henrik5000

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