Allen Institute for Brain Science Introduces The Next Generation Leaders Council

SEATTLE, Sept. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Allen Institute for Brain Science is launching a new advisory council of emerging leaders in science -- the Next Generation Leaders Council. This group of six distinguished young researchers will provide feedback in both formal and informal settings to young scientists at the Allen Institute.

"The program is dramatically different from others in the field, and shows the dedication of the Allen Institute to fostering the career development of young scientists," says Julie Harris, an Assistant Investigator at the Allen Institute. "All too often, important scientific contributions from post-docs or junior faculty members are not recognized until much later in their careers. We want to recognize these early accomplishments and their potential to become strong scientific leaders."

Selected through a competitive application process from a pool of international applicants, the Next Generation Leaders come from universities and institutes across the world.

"I have long admired the work at the Allen Institute and it's an honor to have been selected for this unique program," says Viviana Gradinaru, Assistant Professor at Caltech.

The council will convene at the Allen Institute's inaugural Showcase symposium where they will give presentations on their fields of study and meet with Institute researchers. Additionally, once a year, council members will travel to Seattle and join the Allen Institute's primary advisory councils to provide feedback on Institute research projects. This guidance helps the Allen Institute plan and adopt the best methods for meeting its scientific goals.

The Next Generation Leaders Advisory Council members include:

• Jerry Chen, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich
• Lisa Giocomo, Ph.D. Asst. Professor, Neurobiology, Stanford University
• Viviana Gradinaru, Ph.D. Asst. Professor, Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech
• Ueli Rutishauser, Ph.D. Asst. Professor, Neurosurgery and Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
• Krishanu Saha, Ph.D. Asst. Professor, Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin Madison
• Neville Sanjana, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow, Broad Institute, MIT and Harvard

About the Showcase Symposium

The Allen Institute for Brain Science's first annual Showcase, held Sept. 16-17, 2014, at Fremont Studios, Seattle, is a two-day symposium focusing on innovative approaches to big science. In addition to the Next Generation leader presentations, the symposium will feature team talks, an interactive panel discussion and dynamic poster sessions. For a detailed schedule of presentations, visit: www.alleninstitute.org/showcase

About the Allen Institute for Brain Science

The Allen Institute for Brain Science (www.alleninstitute.org) is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical research organization dedicated to accelerating the understanding of how the human brain works in health and disease. Using a big science approach, the Allen Institute generates useful public resources used by researchers and organizations around the globe, drives technological and analytical advances, and discovers fundamental brain properties through integration of experiments, modeling and theory. Launched in 2003 with a seed contribution from founder and philanthropist Paul G. Allen, the Allen Institute is supported by a diversity of government, foundation and private funds to enable its projects. Given the Institute's achievements, Mr. Allen committed an additional $300 million in 2012 for the first four years of a ten-year plan to further propel and expand the Institute's scientific programs, bringing his total commitment to date to $500 million. The Allen Institute's data and tools are publicly available online at www.brain-map.org.

Media Contact:
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206.548.8486 | [email protected]

SOURCE Allen Institute for Brain Science