Translational research is a powerful process that drives the clinical research engine by overcoming difficulties to apply new basic knowledge in the clinic. An integration of excellent basic research, powerful resources and advanced technologies will distinctly strengthen and accelerate the translational processes, especially if this can be accomplished in a coordinated way at multiple institutions around the world.
As such, six internationally recognized institutions in the field of neuroscience, including: Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University; Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet; Massachusetts General Hospital; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Brain Research Center, University of British Columbia; Florey Institutes of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, have agreed to form an Alliance for fostering integration and collaboration of translational neuroscience research activities among the member institutions.
Responding to the call of Professor Xiaomin Wang, Vice President of CMU, an informal meeting was held at Intercontinental Hotel Beichen, Beijing on August 28, 2012 to discuss the proposed IATN. The participants of this meeting are listed below.
Participants
|
Biao Chen |
Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, CMU |
|
Robert Desimone |
McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT |
|
Howard Feldman |
Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia |
|
Guoping Feng |
McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT |
|
Tomas Hökfelt |
Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet |
|
Jianping Jia |
Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, CMU |
|
Tao Jiang |
Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital,CMU |
|
Xunming Ji |
Xuan Wu Hospital, CMU |
|
Xiaoying Wang |
Clinical Proteomics Research Center and Neuroprotection Research Laboratory, Harvard Medical School |
|
Qian Wang |
Office of International Cooperation, CMU |
|
Xiaomin Wang |
Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, CMU |
|
Zhongcong Xie |
Massachusetts General Hospital |
|
Zhiqing David Xu |
Department of Neurobiology, CMU |
It was agreed that a working committee should be formed. Professor Xiaomin Wang and Zhi-Qing David Xu were nominated as the Chair and Secretary of the committee, respectively, based on the consensus of the participants.
Further members are appointed by the member institutions (one from each institution).
It was agreed that the IATN will act as an advocate for translational neuroscience research and education among the member institutions, by: firstly, building eight International Collaboration Centers, based on eight major brain disorders (Alzheimer’s disease, brain tumors,depression, epilepsy, nerve injury and restoration, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and stroke), to share resources including, but not limited to, clinical data and tissue banks, transgenic animals and related tissues, equipment and technical expertise in the context of the Alliance; secondly,forming a joint PhD program, supported by Capital Medical University (CMU), to foster collaborative research in mutual areas of excellence between CMU and other member institutions. The CMU will cover the living and travel expenses fully or partially; thirdly establishing collaboration among the individual PIs of the member institutions. The Seed Grant Program, sponsored by CMU, will support early-stage and development of joint projects between PIs from CMU and other member institutions; finally organizing conferences and workshops in the translational neuroscience field to provide fora for better interactions between principal investigators and their teams from the member institutions.
The inaugural ceremony of IATN was held at Beijing international convention center, Beijing on August 28, 2012.