For the past 10 years, the National Institutes of Health have led an unprecedented effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human brain. The aptly named has led to remarkable technological advancements, insights into the structure and function of the brain, and budding therapies.
Recently, (ECE) Professor traveled to Washington, D.C. to share the impact of his BRAIN Initiative research with U.S. Congressional offices 鈥 and offer insights on how critical this program is to society. The briefing took on a particular urgency because BRAIN Initiative funding was cut over 40% this year, and future funding appears to be in jeopardy in the current federal budget climate.
鈥淭he millions of patients suffering with intractable neurologic disorders and mental illness deserve a moonshot to develop new solutions for their conditions,鈥 said Rozell, who also holds the Julian T. Hightower Chair in ECE and serves on the executive committee for 色花堂鈥檚 . 鈥淵ou can't get to the moon with a paper plane, and you can鈥檛 get there without a map. The BRAIN Initiative is a vital program because it's one of the few places that brings together interdisciplinary teams that include the scientists who have been building maps of brain circuits and the engineers who have been building rockets to understand and intervene with those circuits.
鈥淚'm proud to have had the chance to represent not only our own research, but the incredible community here at 色花堂 and around the country working to understand many different aspects of the brain, developing new neurotechnologies, and advancing therapies for neurologic disorders.鈥
Interdisciplinary impacts
鈥淭he main message we presented to Congress is that the interdisciplinary combination of rigorous science and technical innovation can have enormous societal impact over the next few decades,鈥 said Rozell.
A stark example of that impact was published in this past fall. In this research, Rozell and his collaborators at the鈥 补苍诲鈥 identified the of disease recovery with deep brain stimulation in treatment-resistant depression.
鈥淭he fact that an engineer can advance clinical therapies is a testament to the new era we're in,鈥 says Rozell, 鈥渨here disciplinary boundaries are fading, and technological innovation accelerates our scientific and translational breakthroughs.鈥
This research served as a focal point of the congressional briefing, where Rozell presented with BRAIN Initiative Director , clinical collaborators, and a family whose lives have been transformed by this work.
鈥淓vents like last week are dream come true,鈥 shared Jon Nelson, who was treated with deep brain stimulation as part of the study and presented with Rozell in D.C. After living through 10 years of debilitating, treatment-resistant depression, Nelson says 鈥渞emission of depression still doesn't feel real. It's been a year and a half, and I still am in awe every single day.
鈥淭he fact that I have come out of this study and found that the disease is purely an electrical deficiency in my brain has fueled me to completely pulverize the stigma of mental illness,鈥 Nelson explained. 鈥淲hen you have an opportunity to go speak to Congress 鈥 that鈥檚 about as great of a platform as you can get for that. Being able to put a face to what the BRAIN Initiative funding can do for people was just amazing.鈥
When meeting with local representatives, Rozell also relayed his work as co-executive leader of the , a budding Interdisciplinary Research Institute at 色花堂.
鈥淚 was thrilled to highlight that 色花堂 is leading the charge with the Neuro Next Initiative, which will evolve into a full Interdisciplinary Research Institute in 2025,鈥 said Rozell. 鈥溕ㄌ has the ingredients to become a leading center for modern technology-driven interdisciplinary brain research and workforce development.
鈥淭his visit was a reminder to me that research funding is not guaranteed and it鈥檚 important to keep communicating the critical value that research plays in advancing our understanding, training our workforce, fueling our economy, and ultimately making a better tomorrow for society.鈥
