Skip to main content

Transforming the understanding
and treatment of mental illnesses.

Celebrating 75 Years! Learn More >>

 Archived Content

The National Institute of Mental Health archives materials that are over 4 years old and no longer being updated. The content on this page is provided for historical reference purposes only and may not reflect current knowledge or information.

Tom Insel Discusses The BRAIN Initiative on The Charlie Rose Brain Series

Science Update

NIMH Director Tom Insel Discusses The Brain Initiative
NIMH Director Tom Insel, M.D.

Once again, NIMH Director Thomas Insel joins host Charlie Rose for The Charlie Rose Brain Series on PBS. This program aired on Sunday, July 14. Episodes of The Charlie Rose Brain Series explore the great mysteries of the human brain, including research dedicated to better understanding brain disorders as well as advances in technology.

In the episode, Thomas Insel, along with NINDS Director Story Landis, Eric Kandel of Columbia University, William Newsome of Stanford University, and Cornelia Bargmann discussed The NIH BRAIN Initiative . The BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is part of a new Presidential focus aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. Despite the many advances in neuroscience, the underlying causes of most neurological and psychiatric conditions remain largely unknown due to the vast complexity of the human brain. To develop effective ways of helping people with these devastating conditions, researchers need a more complete arsenal of tools for understanding how the brain functions both in health and disease. The Initiative will accelerate the development of new technologies to help researchers produce dynamic pictures of the brain that show how individual brain cells and complex neural circuits interact.