The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory is one of the three

neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions, and its disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, ...

groups at MIT along with the McGovern Institute for Brain Research and the Department of Brain and

Cognitive Science Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary, scientific study of the mind and its processes. It examines the nature, the tasks, and the functions of cognition (in a broad sense). Mental faculties of concern to cognitive scientists include percep ...

s. The institute focuses on studying various aspects of learning and memory, including diseases such as Alzheimer's and

schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...

. it has received over

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

50 million for research in these areas. Establishment and Funding The institute was established in 1994, primarily funded by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, the RIKEN Brain Science Institute and the

National Institute of Mental Health The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH, in turn, is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is the primar ...

. It was renamed after receiving a $50 million grant by the Picower Foundation in 2002. Leadership * Founder and Former Director:

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

laureate Susumu Tonegawa, who resigned on December 31, 2006, believing that “a new generation of leadership is needed.” * Current Director: Professor Li-Huei Tsai, who became the director on July 1, 2009

Notes

External links

Official website
{{authority control Massachusetts Institute of Technology research institutes Cognitive science research institutes Neuroscience research centers in the United States Research institutes in Massachusetts