title: Neuroscience thinks big (and collaboratively).
abstract: Despite cash-strapped times for research, several ambitious collaborative neuroscience projects have attracted large amounts of funding and media attention. In Europe, the Human Brain Project aims to develop a large-scale computer simulation of the brain, whereas in the United States, the Brain Activity Map is working towards establishing a functional connectome of the entire brain, and the Allen Institute for Brain Science has embarked upon a 10-year project to understand the mouse visual cortex (the MindScope project). US President Barack Obama's announcement of the BRAIN Initiative (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative) in April 2013 highlights the political commitment to neuroscience and is expected to further foster interdisciplinary collaborations, accelerate the development of new technologies and thus fuel much needed medical advances. In this Viewpoint article, five prominent neuroscientists explain the aims of the projects and how they are addressing some of the questions (and criticisms) that have arisen.
authors: Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience, 1051 Riverside Drive, NYSPI-UNIT 25, New York, New York 10032, USA. erk5@columbia.edu
authors: Eric R
authors: ER
authors: Kandel
authors: Henry
authors: H
authors: Markram
authors: Paul M
authors: PM
authors: Matthews
authors: Rafael
authors: R
authors: Yuste
authors: Christof
authors: C
authors: Koch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001703:Biophysics / Q000639:trends*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009488:Neurosciences / Q000639:trends*
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