The Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science promotes discovery and innovation in brain science by supporting a diverse, collaborative community of experimentalists, theorists, engineers, and clinicians. The Institute works to elevate Brown University’s position as a global leader in brain science, recognized for excellence, innovation, and discovery. A $100 million namesake gift in 2018 established the Carney Institute as one of the best-endowed university brain institutes in the country. This gift will drive Carney’s research agenda, from studying genes and circuits, to healthy behavior, to brain disorders.

With more than 130 affiliated faculty members in 19 departments, the Carney Institute is pursuing research that has real-life, human applications, including: brain-computer interfaces to aid patients with spinal injury and paralysis; innovative advances in computational neuroscience to address behavior and mood disorders; development of bioluminescent molecules to detect and control neuronal activity; developing new methods for labeling neural circuits; and research into mechanisms of neurodegeneration as part of efforts to identify therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Critical to our research efforts are the contributions of hundreds of graduate and undergraduate researchers and postdoctoral fellows.

The Carney Institute recruits and retains world-class faculty, funds innovative projects, establishes and supports state-of-the-art research facilities, and acquires shared equipment. The Institute also provides expertise and personnel to help faculty members garner and administer multi-investigator grants for research, infrastructure, and training, as well as to manage collaborative research projects.