What is the Brain Sciences Center?

     The Brain Sciences Center, located at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, is an interdisciplinary research institute, and training center, that focuses on the mechanisms underlying the active, dynamic brain in both health and disease.

     The Center's neuroinvestigators collaborate on a wide variety of research studies including: schizophrenia, Alzheimer's Disease, alcoholism, mechanisms of cognitive function, memory and learning, control of movement, and musical analysis of brain signals.  In addition, these investigators represent a cross- section of academic disciplines including: biophysics, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, electrical engineering, music, neurology, neurophysiology, neuroscience, psychiatry, radiology, scientific computation, and statistics.

     Advanced technology is essential to tackling the complex nature of the brain, so Center investigators must employ a multitude of functional neuroimaging and other leading-edge research methods in their work including: magnetoencephalography (MEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), large scale computer modeling, neurophysiology, sonification, experimental psychology, single cell recordings, and statistical analysis.

HISTORY
    The Brain Sciences Center was conceived in the 1980s by forward-thinking doctors at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,  then made possible through the financial support of the American Legion family of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota, who each contributed over a million dollars. 

     That funding led to the creation of the American Legion family-University of Minnesota Brain Sciences Chair.  Apostolos P. Georgopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., was selected as the Chair-holder, and, with additional support from the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, opened the doors to the Brain Sciences Center in June of 1991.   The Center's original staff of three people now numbers more than 50 including: faculty members, research associates and fellows, postdoctoral associates, graduate and undergraduate students, computer support and administrative personnel.

Mpls. Veterans Affairs Medical Center

1 Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417

    The Brain Sciences Center is located at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. at the corner of 54th St. S and Minnehaha Ave., near the intersection of Hwy. 55 (Hiawatha Ave.) and Hwy 62 (Crosstown).   We're just across the road from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and only a 20 minute drive via Hiawatha Avenue from downtown Minneapolis.  The new Hiawatha LRT (light-rail train) travels between downtown Minneapolis, the VAMC, the airport and the Mall of America.

Online map to the Minneapolis VAMC

© 2004 by the Brain Sciences Center. All Rights Reserved.

Comments: webmaster@brain.umn.edu | Updated March 5, 2008

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