BRAIN Initiative: Advancing Human Neuroscience and Precision Molecular Therapies for Transformative Treatments

Post Date: February 5, 2026

Expiration Date: January 22, 2027

The NIH Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative strategically advances neuroscience to revolutionize our understanding of neural circuits. In support of Accelerating Human Neuroscience, the Initiative aims to advance fundamental understanding of human brain function and translate this knowledge into impactful clinical technologies. Projects in this topic area include generation of transformative insights into human brain circuit mechanisms, development of new platforms and technologies that bridge basic science with clinical interventions and testing next-generation devices to monitor or modulate neural circuits in early human studies. Adding to these scientific goals, the BRAIN Initiative also seeks to develop and deploy Precision Molecular Circuit Therapies. These projects in precision therapies will focus on developing and deploying advanced neural effector technologies, such as optogenetic and chemogenetic tools, for the precise correction of dysfunctional brain circuits in neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. This involves leveraging genetic delivery systems and engineered control of neural activity to achieve high specificity, while addressing technological, neurobiological, and regulatory challenges to enable transformative, targeted treatments. These research domains emphasize building a collaborative research ecosystem, improving technology dissemination, addressing data integration and standardization challenges, and filling critical knowledge and translation gaps, all to accelerate the discovery and adoption of novel neuroscience treatments and approaches in humans.

The NIH BRAIN Initiative consists of the NIH Institutes and Centers identified below, unless otherwise indicated.