Today we have the tools to accomplish experiments that were impossible only a decade ago. The question facing us now is how to select the experiments that need to be done first. Researchers stress the vital role of collaboration in the research progress, acknowledging that “many of the projects we undertake call for expertise in biophysics, molecular biology, neuroanatomy, and, often, clinical medicine. Because of its success in building relationships, the BRI has been instrumental in assuring continual progress in neuroscience research.

In order to ensure our ongoing progress, we need excellence in funding, faculty and student recruiting, advanced laboratory and core facilities, and broad-based collaboration. From a research perspective, the BRI is a great enabler, establishing a framework for success that is unparalleled.

One example of this unified approach is the work of Dr. Gary Small, who combines genetic screening with advanced brain imaging to predict a patient’s predisposition for developing Alzheimer’s disease. In light of new interventions that offer most benefits to those in the early stages of the disease, this capability could dramatically improve patient outcomes.

UCLA’s neuroscience research programs focus on:

· repairing neural tissue damaged by injury or disease;
· explaining the basis of learning and memory;
· treating and preventing stroke;
· providing advanced brain imaging for research and diagnosis; and
· treating neurological disorders such as intractable epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease.