The Brain Research Institute (BRI)

The UCLA Brain Research Institute (BRI) is a catalyst for education, outreach, and research collaborations among scientists, engineers and clinicians who seek to understand the healthy and diseased brain. Formed in 1959 by a small cadre of neuroscientists, the BRI is one of the first neuroscience research collectives established in the United States. Now, with approximately some 300 faculty members representing nearly 35 departments from 8 schools, the institute is UCLA’s central force in its mission to advance interdisciplinary basic and clinical neuroscience. In order to accomplish this mission, the BRI provides multiple financial, informational, and operational resources to invigorate research programs and support collaborations bringing together investigators from disparate scientific fields. The BRI also co-ordinates a large portion of neuroscience educational programs on campus, including the undergraduate and graduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Programs (NSIDP). Through its outreach programs the BRI strives to enrich scientific knowledge in the community, Highlights of outreach are summer research programs and hosting visits to and from local K-12 schools. The BRI Director heads a leadership team composed of the Neuroscience Interdepartmental Programs Chairs and the Directors for Research, Education and Outreach. 

BRI continues to be a magnet for some of the best neuroscience researchers in the world. It remains a powerful incubator of basic and medical science research endeavors leading to a deeper understanding of the human brain and clinical strategies that will become viable treatments for diseases and disorders such as Genetics of Mental Disorders, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, autism, schizophrenia and addiction.

UCLA receives over $1 billion in federal grants, much of it for neuroscience. This has helped BRI possess the #1 Neuroscience Research Program in the country. With about 300 members and about 800 open source labs, abundant opportunities exist to connect with fellow researchers and create innovative projects.
 

For more information, please visit the BRI website.

Last updated
November 13, 2025