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Building on decades of established strength in neuroscience, Western University is expanding international education and research collaborations through a strategic partnership with NeurotechEU. The first non-European university to become part of NeurotechEU as a global partner, Western joins an alliance of nine European universities focused on neurotechnology, an emerging field of research that involves the development of new interventions and innovations to understand the brain and diseases affecting it. Partnering with universities in the alliance opens new doors for student training across borders and lays the foundation for research collaborations that will help answer complex neuroscience questions. Providing bridges between various disciplines, including neuroscience, engineering, artificial intelligence, social science and the humanities, NeurotechEU aims to create a unique educational environment. “Especially in the neuroscience and neurotechnology fields, one institution is not going to be equipped to address these challenging research questions on its own,” said Penny Pexman, Western’s vice-president (research).

“Future discoveries that are going have real impact on people’s brain health are reliant on these collaborative relationships.” – Penny Pexman, Western’s vice-president (research)

 

European Universities Initiative connects nine institutions

NeurotechEU is part of the European Universities Initiative, funded by the European Union to facilitate the exchange of education, research and employment across institutions and borders, allowing students to gain international experience and benefit from specific expertise. It brings together over 180,000 students and more than 90,000 staff and faculty from across nine universities located in the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Turkey, Romania, France, Iceland and Austria. “By incorporating Western University into NeurotechEU, we are strengthening bridges between Europe and Canada through excellence in education and research in neuroscience and neurotechnology. This partnership provides our universities and their students and researchers with new opportunities for exchange and collaboration to the benefit of all,” said Mark Vlek de Coningh, Secretary General of NeurotechEU. The partnership with NeurotechEU universities opens up the possibility for collaborations in other research areas, beyond neurotechnology, Pexman noted. These discussions have already included topics such as AI, ethics, migration and democracy. “Through our international partnerships with universities across the globe, our students find value in visiting other labs, learning from other researchers and forging new collaborations,” said Pexman. “This new partnership with NeurotechEU will allow us to expand those opportunities with leading universities across Europe and align shared interests with research strengths at those institutions.”  

Recognizing Western’s research strengths

Western brings world-leading research programs to the alliance, from deep strength in brain imaging at Western’s Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, interdisciplinary teams enabled through the Western Institute for Neuroscience, innovative ways to investigate clinical applications for neurodegenerative disease through the TRIDENT platform, to extensive work in biomedical engineering. “Western’s invitation to join NeurotechEU as an associate partner is a strong outcome of our community’s intentional efforts to work collaboratively and internationally as a way to more effectively address pressing questions about the brain, brain health and related technologies,” said Pexman. Schulich Medicine & Dentistry professor Ravi Menon was one of six speakers at this year’s NeurotechEU Neuroinnovation Summit and General Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden on May 12. Menon presented his team’s research showing how “dummy scans” captured before the signal on an MRI has stabilized actually produce some of the strongest brain signals a scanner can capture, and how it can be applied to specific situations to improve efficiency. Learn more about how Western is optimizing health for all.