May, 2008
INNF Leads Major International Research Collaboration in the Genetic Basis of Taste PerceptionWashington DC, May 8, 2008 – The International Neuroscience Network Foundation announced today the start of a major collaborative research initiative, sponsored by the Nestlé Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland, to explore the relationship between genotype and taste perception. Participants include sites in the US and Brazil including the Instituto de Ensinoe Pequisa at the Hospital Sírio Libanês in São Paulo, Brazil, in association with the Alberto Santos Dumont Association for Research Development (AASDAP); Expression Analysis Inc, in Durham, North Carolina, USA; the Brain Mind Institute in Lausanne, Switzerland; and the Nestle Research Center also in Lausanne.
The human clinical study will provide groundbreaking information on the relationship between genotype, taste perception, and metabolism and could provide insights into future consumer products as well as personalized medicine. For more information on this initiative, see also “Nestlé Science & Research Collaborates with Leading Research Institutions to Link Genetics with Taste Perception.”
About the INNF
The International Neuroscience Network Foundation, established in May 2006, facilitates breakthrough research and development, education, and social programs that support new science and technology of the brain that translate into revolutionary practices and which will dramatically improve global human health.
January, 2008
Monkey's Thoughts Makes Robot Walk from Across the GlobeDurham NC, January 10, 2008 - In a first-of-its-kind experiment, the brain activity of a monkey has been used to control the real-time walking patterns of a robot halfway around the world, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
The Duke team is working with the Computational Brain Project of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) on technology they hope will one day help those with paralysis regain the ability to walk.
"We believe this research could have significant implications for severely paralyzed patients," said senior study investigator Miguel Nicolelis, M.D., Ph.D., the Anne W. Deane Professor of Neuroscience at Duke. "This is a breakthrough in our understanding of how the brain controls the movement of our legs, which is vital information needed to ultimately develop robotic prosthesis." Read more at "Monkey’s Thoughts Propel Robot, a Step That May Help Humans" in the New York Times.
February, 2007
The 2nd International Neuroscience SymposiumNatal, February 2007 - The 2007 International Neuroscience Symposium was held in Natal, Brazil February 23 - 25. This meeting allowed key members of the international neuroscience and technology community to come together to discuss recent advances, opportunities, and challenges in key thematic areas of modern brain research including neuroengineering, neuroprosthetics, deep brain stimulation, Parkinson's disease, europharmacology, transgenic mice, and models of neurological disorders. In addition, it provided a forum to explore the social, ethical, and societal implications of these advances, and to explore pathways that could facilitate and accelerate advances in fundamental neuroscience research, applied clinical medicine, and commercialization of resulting technologies.
The global explosion of neuroscience research and the resulting cutting edge technologies emerging from this multidisciplinary field have led to groundbreaking advances in the fundamental understanding of normal brain function as well as in pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neurological disorders. These advances have the potential to impact millions of people worldwide by providing new treatments for serious illnesses such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, as well as other neural impairments induced by disease or injury. The 2nd Annual Neuroscience Symposium brought together leading neuroscientists from the US, Europe, and Japan, as well as students from all over Latin America, along with leading members of the private biomedical industry interested in the translation of new ideas and technologies to the clinical arena. Distinguished speakers included:
Dr. Ivan de Araujo, Duke University, USA
Dr. Timothy Bliss, National Institute for Medical Research, UK
Dr. Yves Fregnac, Integrative and Computational Neuroscience Research Unit Alfred Fessard Institute of Neurobiology, France
Dr. Wagner Gattaz, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Dr. Ivan Izquierdo, Federal University of Rui Grande do Sul, Brazil
Dr. Claudio Joazeiro, Novartis Research Foundation, USA
Dr. Pedro Maldonado, University of Chile, Chile
Dr. Henry Markram, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Switzerland
Dr. Claudio Mello, OHSU, USA
Dr. Alysson Muotri, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, Duke University, USA
Dr. Marco Prado, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Dr. Stevens Rehen, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Dr. Sidarta Ribeiro, International Institute for Neuroscience of Natal, Brazil
Dr. Alan Rudolph, Adlyfe, Inc., USA
Dr. Koichi Sameshima, University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil
Dr. Sidney Simon, Duke University, USA
Dr. Mriganka Sur, MIT
Dr. Eilon Vaadia, The Hebrew University, Israel
The Symposium also launched the International Neuroscience Network, a project that aims to link leading neuroscience institutes and centers around the world to help define a global agenda for brain research. Sponsored by the recently created International Neuroscience Network Foundation (INNF), the INNF will foster international collaborations that can address fundamental questions in basic and clinical neuroscience. The INNF will also assist in the creation of world class neuroscience research centers and institutes in developing nations. As a way to demonstrate the commitment of the INNF to this cause, the 2nd Annual Neuroscience Symposium was hosted by the newly created International Institute of Neuroscience of Natal (IINN), a neuroscience research initiative put forward by a group of Brazilian neuroscientists who work in leading universities in the United States. Through a series of private donations and a partnership with the Brazilian government, the IINN has been created to serve as the "first node" of the International Neuroscience Network in Latin America.
