The Harvard Brain Science Initiative (HBI) was launched in 2014 by the Office of the Provost of Harvard University, as a cross-schools initiative. Co-chaired by the head of the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, Michael E. Greenberg, and the head of the Center for Brain Science at Harvard University, Venkatesh Murthy, and advised by a steering committee of thirteen other leading neuroscientists at Harvard, HBI’s purpose is to unite and inspire our diverse, multidisciplinary brain science community.
HBI represents a “One Harvard” approach to coordinating and serving the neuroscience research, teaching and medical community as a whole. We aim to ensure that resources are available for basic researchers to initiate high-risk projects and make fundamental discoveries, to provide platforms that encourage interdisciplinary thinking, to enhance training opportunities for students and fellows, and to help neuroscientists from different parts of the university and affiliated hospitals stay abreast of each other’s accomplishments. We also hope to engage with neuroscientists at other institutions and the general public to exchange ideas and share progress on some of the biggest challenges facing brain science and medicine today.