About UCI Brain

UCI Brain is a signature program of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. The program advances our knowledge of the brain by enabling state-of-the-art collaborative research, developing the next generation of leading neuroscientists, and creating an innovative digital hub for resource sharing and interactions. Our priorities include faculty recruitment, investing in new technology, graduate education, high-risk, high-reward research programs, and seed funding, and engaging the community. UCI Brain is led by a team of distinguished UCI faculty interested in cross-disciplinary study of the brain.

We advance brain science and education through four cross-cutting themes:

The Healthy Brain

The Healthy Brain theme focuses on preventing and treating brain disorders as well as enhancing and optimizing cognition and mood. It fosters research in strength areas at UCI including Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, brain injury, epilepsy, stress, and psychiatric illness. It also expands new research and education programs in growth areas including addiction, sleep, exercise, and cognitive training.

The Computational Brain

The Computational Brain fosters research in strength areas including learning, memory, language, perception, attention, neural engineering, and robotics. It also expands research and education programs in growth areas including brain data science, computational neurobiology, as well as brain-based artificial intelligence.

The Social Brain

The Social Brain fosters research in strength areas including social, affective, and cultural neuroscience, as well as the sociology of mental illness. It also expands research and education programs in growth areas including neuroeconomics, the neuroscience of ethics and morality, and the interface of neuroscience and the law.

The Artistic Brain

The Artistic Brain fosters innovative new research and education programs at the interface of neuroscience and the performing arts, the neural/computational basis of aesthetic creativity and links between artistic expression, brain health and social relationships. As the Initiative’s most diverse and transdisciplinary theme, the Artistic Brain also serves as a key conduit for dialogues with society and community engagement.