VISION AND IMPACT 2025
The Case for Support
From the Director
Imagine a world …
... where the intricate workings and formidable potential of human memory are unlocked, so that memories can be enhanced or recovered to help countless patients continue to live meaningful lives
... where memory-based interventions allow our minds to age gracefully, protected from dementia and cognitive decline
... where discoveries in learning and memory revolutionize the educational landscape for individuals living with learning disabilities
... where the extraordinary power of human memory ushers in a new era of artificial intelligence, working alongside humans to solve resource shortages and other global challenges.
At the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, this is our moonshot. With your partnership, we can make it a reality. I invite you to read on to see how we can shape the future, together.
With gratitude,
Michael Yassa
Michael A. Yassa, Ph.D. Director and James L. McGaugh Chair
Memoryisthetreasuryandguardianofallthings.
-MarcusT.Cicero “
Memory is the sum of who we are. It is the bridge to our past and future, weaving together the fabric of our consciousness over a lifetime. Through memory, we project ourselves forward, imagine what is yet to come, and find meaning in our lives Memory is also the basis of our individuality One person might learn to become a brilliant mathematician, another a gifted linguist. Some people channel their experiences into the creative arts, while others learn to master the mechanical intricacies of an engine. These differences reflect the complexity and the beauty of the human brain.
Often compared to a supercomputer, the brain manages and organizes a constant stream of information, storing what we learn across more than 100 trillion neural connections. With every new experience, our brain adapts, reshapes, and stores fresh memories. This dynamic organ, long a subject of fascination for philosophers and scientists alike, is intricate, resilient, and awe-inspiring
Yet, despite its remarkable capabilities, the brain is also vulnerable –susceptible to damage from illness, injury, or the natural aging process. When the brain's delicate balance is disrupted, the impact can be profound. Memory falters, learning is impaired, and the ability to live a fulfilling life may slip away, leaving individuals and their loved ones grappling with loss.
Understanding how we learn and remember is central to understanding brain disorders. Memory is not just a function of the brain; it is the gateway to its health. Alzheimer's disease, depression, epilepsy, addiction, and countless other disorders all disrupt the brain's ability to store, retrieve, and use memories. The more we understand how the brain learns and remembers, the better equipped we are to protect it – preventing the harm that brain disorders inflict and giving millions of people the chance to maintain their individuality, independence, and quality of life.
THE PROBLEM
Brain disorders represent one of the most pressing global health crises of our time, affecting over 3 billion people worldwide. The impact of brain disorders goes beyond individuals – these disorders impose significant burden on families, communities, and healthcare systems. Despite their prevalence, brain disorders remain under-researched, underfunded, and inadequately treated.
Globally, scientists have made remarkable strides in curing many diseases, including most cancers. However, despite the essential role of the brain in driving all bodily functions and thus living a full life, the quest to cure brain illness is still in its infancy.
Many factors make this challenge particularly daunting. The brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons – about as many as there are stars in the Milky Way – forming an intricate web of connections with unparalleled complexity. The brain's outputs, such as thoughts and emotions, are abstract and difficult to define, track, and measure. Adding to this complexity is the need to study brain activity in real time, requiring living, conscious subjects, which poses further challenges for neuroscience research.
THE NEED
The Family Caregiver Alliance reports that many diseases and disorders affecting the brain are progressive, with their incidence and prevalence increasing with age. Caring for individuals with brain disorders often becomes a round-the-clock responsibility. As our population ages, the demand for care and the need to understand the impact of these disorders on families grow increasingly urgent.
Right now, we are witnessing a rise in brain disorders for which we lack adequate tools to manage or resolve effectively. According to the World Health Organization, the number of people living with, and dying from, conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression has risen significantly around the globe. This increase is largely attributable to the aging population, the COVID-19 pandemic, and heightened exposure to environmental, metabolic, and lifestyle risk factors.
Many of us know someone affected by a neurological or psychiatric disorder, and we understand how profoundly the condition can affect their lives and the lives of those around them. Because these disorders can be so devastating, our teams at the CNLM recognize the urgency of investing time, resources, and effort into better understanding the brain’s inner workings, enabling us to treat and manage brain disorders more effectively.
The ability to reduce or even reverse the negative impact of brain dysfunction is akin to giving someone a second chance at a normal life. Moreover, treatments have the potential to alleviate the often overwhelming physical, emotional, and financial burdens that families face when managing long-term care and rehabilitation for a loved one.
JohnsHopkinsProfessorofPsychiatry “
Thetragedyofmentalillnessis thatpeoplecan’tseeit.It’snot visiblelikeabrokenbone.
-KayRedfieldJamison,Ph.D.
THIS IS WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
We are the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM) at the University of California, Irvine – the first institution in the world dedicated to the fundamental challenge of understanding the brain. Here, biologists, engineers, computer scientists and other specialists work across disciplines to generate transformative breakthroughs in brain science together. CNLM scientists use state-of-the-art techniques to study the intricate mechanisms of learning and memory across every level of analysis, from molecules to mind. Our approach is comprehensive and strives to answer many fundamental questions including:
How are memories formed, stored, and recalled?
How can we slow down memory decline and halt Alzheimer’s disease?
How can we reduce or eliminate the effects of strong memories associated with addiction, stress, or trauma?
How can discoveries of the cellular mechanisms of learning inform interventions for developmental disorders and intellectual disabilities?
How can we develop new therapeutics for brain disorders like epilepsy, stroke, and traumatic brain injury using insights from learning and memory?
Within the laboratories of the CNLM, our pioneering discoveries have already shaped our understanding of memory and the brain in many ways. For example, our scientists have uncovered how:
Memories are not formed instantly but are consolidated over time
Memories are stored in connections among brain cells (synapses)
Strong emotional responses strengthen memories
Memories are reconstructed over time and are subject to distortion
Adversity, stress, sleep, caffeine, and exercise impact memory
Depression and addiction are associated with abnormally strong, negative, yet potentially reversible memories
Elevated electrical signals in the aging brain lead to memory loss
Cognitive decline can be slowed down in Alzheimer’s disease
Enhancing synaptic communication can improve learning and memory
A rare form of superior autobiographical memory may hold the key to ending memory loss
These discoveries have marked major milestones in the history of brain science. Yet, they represent only a fraction of what we need to uncover to fully understand the complexity and fragility of the human brain.
Thepotentialofneuroscienceisimmense;aswedecodethe brain,wewillnotonlytreatdisordersbutalsoenhancethe humanexperienceitself.
-DavidEagleman,Ph.D. StanfordNeuroscientist
IN THE BEGINNING...
From the day the University of California, Irvine first opened its doors, neuroscience and the study of the mind have been among our towering academic strengths. We owe our stellar reputation in large part to the groundbreaking contributions and life’s work of Distinguished Professor Emeritus James L. McGaugh, Ph.D., founding director of the CNLM and a renowned trailblazer in the field of brain science.
In the 1950s and ’60s McGaugh made the seminal discovery that memories are not formed instantly but rather become fixed or consolidated slowly after an experience. Over several decades, he and his students discovered many of the mechanisms of memory storage, forming much of the foundational knowledge in the field. In the 2000s, McGaugh discovered and began to study a new and mysterious form of memory – highly superior autobiographical memory – a rare condition in which people can precisely recall detailed accounts of past events in their lives. His work has been cited over 80,000 times, making him one of the most influential brain scientists of all time. He has been recognized with countless honors and awards from the American and international scientific communities, including membership in the National Academy of Sciences and fellowship in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
MORE THAN 40 YEARS LATER...
Today, the CNLM continues to blaze new trails under the leadership of Professor Michael A. Yassa, Ph.D., CNLM Director and James L. McGaugh Endowed Chair. Yassa began his career at Johns Hopkins University but returned to his doctoral alma mater, UC Irvine, in 2014 with a clear purpose: to build on past successes and take the CNLM’s research and education mission to the next level.
“UCIrvineisyoungandagileandcanmaketransformative changehappenquickly,unlikemanyotherinstitutionsfirmly groundedintraditionalstructures.”
-MichaelA.Yassa,Ph.D. ProfessorandCenterDirector “
Since taking the helm in 2016, Yassa has revitalized the CNLM’s mission and interdisciplinary approaches, elevating the center’s visibility in Orange County and on the global stage. Yassa leads a prominent, federally funded research program in clinical neuroscience. His groundbreaking work has uncovered a mechanism for ending memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease and has fueled the discovery of next-generation therapeutics to slow down cognitive decline. He has received many honors and awards, including the Frank Logan Early Career Award, the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Young Investigator Award, the Robert Newcomb Interdisciplinary Team Science Award, and the Academic Senate’s Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentorship
A DREAM TEAM
Our team of more than 140 Faculty Fellows and their labs of dedicated scientists at the CNLM are bringing their unique expertise to our mission.
From Distinguished Pioneers
Pierre Baldi
Tallie Z. Baram
Christine Gall
Claudia Kawas
Judith Kroll
Elizabeth Loftus
Gary Lynch
Bruce McNaughton
Leading expert in artificial intelligence, deep learning, and artificial neural networks.
Internationally recognized expert on the effects of early life stress on the maturation of learning and memory brain circuits.
Renowned leader in the field of adult synaptic plasticity and sex differences in learning and memory.
Trailblazer in understanding the brains of the oldest old and the role of resilience in staving off cognitive decline and dementia.
Distinguished authority on language learning, bilingualism, and second language acquisition.
Pioneer in understanding how our brains generate false memories and how memories are reconstructed.
World leader in uncovering how memories are stored in synapses (connections between brain cells).
Made seminal discoveries in learning and memory and developed one of the most transformative brain recording technologies of our time.
Julian Thayer
Marcelo Wood
Renowned expert on heart rate variability, psychophysiology, and the impact of emotional arousal on memory.
Highly recognized leader for his work on epigenetic mechanisms of memory storage and applications to aging and addiction.
To Fearless Trailblazers
Aaron Bornstein
Lulu Chen
Elizabeth Chrastil
Javier Diaz Alonso
Laura Ewell
Nobert Fortin
Christie Fowler
Examines how different memory strategies guide decision-making and how these strategies are altered in psychiatric illness.
Uncovers new roles for specific molecules and proteins in memory deficits associated with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.
Uses virtual reality to understand how our brains learn to navigate around our environments.
Discovers how synapses are organized and how certain molecules are key for memory storage.
Uses brain recordings to demonstrate how brain rhythms support communication that is crucial for learning and memory.
Makes strides in understanding how our brains process time and how sequence memories are stored.
Transforms our understanding of how nicotine alters memory circuits, and how dopamine circuits are involved in motivation and addiction.
Steve Mahler
Megan Peters
Eitan Schechtman
Leads the path to understanding addiction and the role of motivation circuits in reward learning.
Discovers ways by which the brain makes decisions in uncertain circumstances.
Uses EEG to discover how memories are consolidated and transformed while we sleep
PILLAR 1: Accelerating Groundbreaking Research
Our goal is to lead high-risk, high-reward research programs that reside on the cutting edge. Unfortunately, this research is often considered to be too novel or is too unconventional for traditional government funding. With your philanthropic support, however:
Our researchers will be empowered to explore visionary ideas and develop proofs of concept for transformative technologies. During this promising stage of research, an infusion of funds will serve as the catalyst for substantial growth, allowing us to reach heights that could transform lives.
We will establish endowed chairs to attract additional world-class scientists with exceptional expertise in precise areas of need to further accelerate our ambitious research agenda.
We will expand our scientific core facilities and team science resources, fostering advancements in next-generation microscopy, animal behavior, and large-scale computation. New funding will allow us to pursue innovative opportunities we might otherwise be forced to pass up, and thereby uphold our leading status in the field, further propelling us toward transformative discoveries.
scientists and cultivating innovators equipped with advanced skills sought by academia and industry alike. Our mission is clear: to provide our students with unparalleled opportunities for success in the dynamic landscape of brain science, and to prepare them for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Our commitment to training the nation’s future leaders in brain science starts at the earliest stages of education. We partner with K-12 schools in Orange County to ensure that neuroscience education is within reach to students at all levels and from all backgrounds. Additionally, we have built world-class programs at the CNLM, including a top-ranking graduate training program for doctoral students and the highly coveted Summer Institute in Neuroscience for undergraduates, which attracts brilliant student scholars from all around the country
Finally, the CNLM is developing innovative postdoctoral training opportunities that bridge the gap between science and society and redefine the training and career landscapes in neuroscience. We aspire to become the nation’s leading institute for training postdocs, equipping them with the skills and experience needed to excel as top brain scientists in both academia and industry.
PILLAR 3: Partnering with Our Communities
Orange County is a vibrant hub of innovation and creativity. Since its inception, the CNLM has been at the forefront of introducing our community to the exhilarating world of brain science. The CNLM’s dedicated Office of Outreach and Education, led by Manuella Oliveira Yassa, Ph.D., is a worldclass leader in neuroscience education and engagement. The office has developed pioneering and impactful programs such as the Brain Explorer Academy and the highly sought after UCI Brain Camp.
The Office of Outreach and Education supports the Distinguished Lecture Series on Brain, Learning and Memory. Since 1995, this free public lecture series has featured brain science luminaries, including Nobel laureates, and educated more than 50,000 community members.
Finally, we recently embarked on a groundbreaking endeavor – the creation of the world’s first university-based community neuroscience research laboratory. Our goal is to continue to offer authentic and meaningful neuroscience experiences to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. We are investing resources to sustain these educational partnerships and amplify their impact within the Orange County community.
CAMPAIGN FOR THE FUTURE
The three primary sources of funding for university-based research in the U S are the government, private businesses, and nonprofit foundations. Because such funding is subject to a fluctuating economy, changing government regulations, the sociopolitical landscape, and fierce competition, we strive to build endowments to guarantee funding when other funding falls short.
Endowments are permanently invested funds overseen by the CNLM’s leadership and held in perpetuity for specific programs, paying out earnings each year to fulfill the program’s mission. The bigger the endowment, the more money is available to meet the program’s annual goals and objectives, safeguarding the endowment principal for decades to come.
CAMPAIGN GOAL: $25 MILLION
To create a series of nine endowments supporting the CNLM’s critical pillars of research, training, and community engagement.
Our Campaign Priorities
General Endowment
million
This fund represents a visionary and purposeful commitment to unleash the potential for discovery and innovation at the CNLM. Income from the endowment can be deployed to fund the Center’s highest priorities, including timely investment in new opportunities to recruit world-class scientists, develop novel technologies, build and enhance core facilities that are crucial for team science, and position our community at the forefront of brain science.
Three Named Endowed Chairs
$2 million each
An endowed chair represents one of the highest honors a faculty member can receive. Whether used to recruit top-notch talent or retain highly successful faculty, the named chair will recognize the stellar achievements of an internationally acclaimed scientist. Through research, teaching, and service, the chairholder will push the boundaries of innovation and discovery while advancing the field of brain science. Society will benefit from the chairholder’s trailblazing work, and future generations of brain scientists will have a chance to study with a global leader. Our goal is to endow three Named Chairs ($2 million each) for rotating three-year terms.
High-Risk, High-Reward Program
Transformative breakthroughs often begin with an unconventional idea – an idea that is too early or too risky for traditional government funding. Supporting such high-risk, high-reward research in its earliest stages will put our scientists at the forefront of discovery, from exploring visionary ideas to developing proofs of concept for transformative technologies. Our goal is to award three to five seed grants each year.
million
Initiative. The endowment will safeguard the program, protecting it from reliance on unpredictable grant funding, and advancing its goal to foster a supportive environment that nurtures a diverse community of future scholars poised to make groundbreaking discoveries.
PredoctoralTrainingFellowships.........
$2million
Graduate students are the engines that drive discovery at every academic institution and the CNLM is no exception. Students often must rely on funding from teaching assistantships or federal fellowships to sustain themselves throughout graduate school. Unfortunately, stipend levels have not caught up with rising costs of living. This endowment will provide funds to supplement the stipends that graduate students receive, support their training and professional development, and invest in their long-term success.
PostdoctoralTrainingFellowships........
$2million
The academic pathway is most vulnerable during the postdoctoral phase, a period in which many trainees “exit the pipeline,” removing potentially exceptional scholars from our talent pool. This endowment will allow us to invest in the recruitment, training, and professional development of a highly competitive pool of postdoctoral fellows and provide them with the resources they need to pursue academic careers in neuroscience.
TheCNLM'sflagshipeducationalprogramforK-12 youth,theBrainExplorerAcademy,isthefirst youtheducationalinitiativeintheworldto combineneuroscienceresearch,scientific communication,andcriticalthinkingskills training.Thisendowmentwillguaranteethe Academythefundingnecessarytocontinueto exposechildrentothewondersofthebrainand inspirethenextgenerationofbrainresearchers.
OfficeofOutreachandEducation
TheOfficeofOutreachandEducatio CNLMisthecentralhubthatdesign evaluatesallourtrainingandcomm engagementprogramsandactivitie endowmentwillinstitutionalizethed positionandallowtheofficetooffe studentswrap-aroundservicestos growthanddevelopmentandinvest leadershippotential.
DistinguishedLectureSeries..............
Tostrengthenbondswiththeb wearecommittedtosustaining LectureSeriesinBrain,Learnin AcherishedtraditionatUCIrvin thesefreepubliclecturesare brainscienceluminariesatthe Theatre.Theendowmentwilln perpetuateitslegacy,andstre onUCIrvineandOrangeCount communityenrichedwithknow
$1million
DONOR RECOGNITION OPPORTUNITIES
We look forward to partnering with you to achieve our campaign goal. Every donation we receive demonstrates a commitment to supporting science and research that can improve the lives of millions of people. Gifts of $1 million or more enable us to rapidly accelerate our progress, and we believe these significant contributions should be honored in a meaningful way.
For example, if you make a $5 million gift, we will name the CNLM General Endowment Fund in your honor, a fitting tribute that will etch your legacy into the history of our institution, ensuring that your contribution and its impact are recognized in perpetuity.
Similarly, in recognition of gifts ranging from $2 million to $3 million, specific programs, endowed chairs or offices will be named in your honor. Finally, a $1 million gift toward our lecture series will name the series in your honor in perpetuity. All major scholarly publications, press releases, marketing materials and digital media associated with the named endowments will acknowledge such transformative gifts.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
As part of the University of California, Irvine, the CNLM is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public institution and accepts gifts of all sizes as we take this next step to guarantee our future and the future of so many people worldwide.
Your gift is an opportunity to help unlock research that will change lives and to inspire and train the next generation of researchers eager to tackle these grand challenges over the next several decades.
JOIN US IN ADVANCING BRAIN SCIENCE AND TRANSFORMING LIVES
There are many ways to support our mission:
Cash Gifts: Cash gifts of any amount are always welcome because we can apply them directly to the area of greatest need. Making an online gift is simple. Please visit our secure direct giving page to make an online gift to the CNLM by visiting secure.give.uci.edu/cnlm. You can also mail a check or money order to us at 320 Qureshey Research Lab, Irvine, CA 92697-3800.
Donor Advised Funds: Gifts from your existing donor advised fund are an effective and impactful way to support the CNLM and the projects that matter most to you.
Stock Gifts: We can accept gifts of marketable securities. Our policy is to immediately sell gifted stock. You will receive a tax deduction for the gift (the average of the high and low value on the day the gift was made).
Planned Gifts: Planned gifts may allow you to make larger gifts than you would otherwise be able to make from current assets. They also allow you the financial flexibility to adjust your plans depending on your priorities. This includes bequests, charitable IRA rollovers, charitable gift annuities, and gifts of insurance. Our development officers are trained to work with you and your financial advisors if this type of gift appeals to you. Your support will create a lasting impact at the CNLM for generations to come.
Friends of the CNLM: Join our annual giving program, which is designed to regularly engage community members in a fun, social membership group that provides opportunities throughout the year to network and socialize with other brain science aficionados! Friends of the CNLM access exciting benefits designed to provide an “insider perspective” into what we do at the center. With four membership levels, you can select the Friends support level package that’s right for you.
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