In December 2020, the Regents of the University of Michigan approved a significant change for the former Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences Institute (MBNI) – to expand its reach into neuroscience-related disciplines across the institution. With this endeavor, MBNI transformed into the current Michigan Neuroscience Institute (MNI) in January 2021, with an eye on strategic growth.
The goal at MNI was simple -- to increase membership from our 19 PIs with research labs to include neuroscience faculty from across campuses. In October 2021, MNI invited 150+ faculty from departments and schools such as Dentistry, Engineering, Kinesiology, LSA, Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health to affiliate with MNI. Broadening MNI’s partnerships will help unite U-M’s neuroscience community and enrich neuroscience efforts across the University.
Currently, over 100 U-M faculty have become MNI affiliate members, and the depth and breadth of neuroscience research and training at the University of Michigan can be found in 7 different schools and colleges, 27 departments, and 15 institutes and centers. This growth will help us harness highly interdisciplinary collaborations and create new synergies, enabling great discoveries and enhancing the visibility and impact of Michigan Neuroscience.
“This is an exciting time at MNI. These new relationships and collaborations will help move us closer to solving what’s going on in the brain and learning what leads to disorders,” said Interim Co-Director Shelly Flagel, Ph.D. “Ultimately we all have the same goal of identifying targets for better therapeutic treatments of disorders.”
To learn more about MNI, visit our website. Are you a U-M faculty member interested in becoming an affiliate of the MNI? Please submit an application here.