T
HE COMMITTEE ON BRAIN SCIENCES’ REALIZATION THAT collaborative work in brain science in the U.S. was alive and well, but without strong recognition, support, or communications, made a strong case for an organization that could articulate the interests of this new generation of scientists who, armed with increasingly sophisticated methods, were often blurring the traditional disciplinary boundaries in understanding brain and nervous system function. As early as June 1967, the committee agreed that a “formal organization of brain scientists in this country was desirable and feasible at this time, and that the emphasis should be on innovative means of communicating with students and integrating the brain research specialties.”22 CBS members had ambitious goals for the new entity: to “help direct attention to the importance of neurosciences for the future intellectual and emotional well-being of this country.”23 They believed that recent findings and research providing insights into vision and memory and suggesting therapies for Parkinson’s, stroke, and mental illness would attract public interest and build support for increased institutional and academic funding, as well as facilitate educational recruitment and scientific collaboration. The question of how to design and establish
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