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The BRAIN Initiative Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) ensures a coordinated and focused effort across NIH and includes representatives from each of the 10 Institutes and Centers (ICs) that contribute to the NIH BRAIN Initiative, with additional at-large members appointed to supplement the working group’s expertise. In addition, the working group includes ex officio members from federal partners Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), and National Science Foundation (NSF), and one non-federal partner from the BRAIN Initiative Alliance. Several MCWG members also serve on the BRAIN Initiative Neuroethics Working Group (NEWG), a group of experts in neuroethics and neuroscience that serves to provide the NIH BRAIN Initiative with input relating to neuroethics.
The MCWG provides ongoing oversight of the long-term scientific vision of the BRAIN Initiative and regularly offers an assessment of the progress of current BRAIN projects and programs. It also serves as a forum for initial " concept clearance, " the review of ideas for new initiatives before they can become funding opportunities. Importantly, the working group ensures that each of the BRAIN IC Advisory Councils is informed about BRAIN programs, awards, and progress – as the individual IC Advisory Councils will perform the formal concept clearance and secondary level of review of BRAIN Initiative applications.
BRAIN MCWG Member List
John Ngai, Ph.D.
Director, NIH BRAIN Initiative
Huda Zoghbi, M.D. (NIMH rep)
Baylor College of Medicine
Edward Chang, M.D. (at large member)
University of California, San Francisco
Todd Constable, Ph.D. (NIBIB rep)
Yale School of Medicine
James Eberwine, Ph.D. (NIAAA rep)
University of Pennsylvania
Jennifer French, MBA (at large member)
Neurotech Network
Angela Laird, Ph.D. (NIDA rep)
Florida International University
Frank Longo, M.D., Ph.D. (NIA rep)
Stanford University
Kathleen Zackowski, Ph.D. (NICHD rep)
National MS Society
Daniel Merfeld, Ph.D. (NIDCD rep)
Ohio State University
Mala Murthy, Ph.D. (at large member)
Princeton University
Pradeep Ramulu, M.D., Ph.D. (NEI rep)
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Liqun Luo, Ph.D. (at large member)
Stanford University
Roy Sillitoe, Ph.D. (NINDS rep)
Baylor College of Medicine
Tor Wager, Ph.D. (NCCIH rep)
Darthmouth College
Alyssa Picchini Schaffer, Ph.D.
Simons Foundation (BRAIN Initiative Alliance rep)
Floh Thiels, Ph.D.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Heather Dean, Ph.D.
US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
Robert Rahmer
Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA)
Lt. Col. Adam Willis, M.D., Ph.D.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Susan Weiss, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Extramural Research NIDA
Crystal Lantz, Ph.D.
Office of the BRAIN Director, NINDS
Michele Pearson
Office of the BRAIN Director, NINDS
BRAIN MCWG Meetings
BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) Meeting – August 2026
The BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group will hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) Meeting – May 2026
The BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG), which works to ensure a coordinated and focused effort on BRAIN across NIH, held a virtual meeting on Friday, May 8, 2026.
BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) Meeting – January 2026
The BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group, which works to ensure a coordinated and focused effort on BRAIN across NIH, held a virtual meeting on Friday, January 30, 2026. The meeting videocast is available for public viewing.
BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) and Neuroethics Working Group (NEWG) Meeting – August 2025
The BRAIN Multi-Council Working Group and the Neuroethics Working Group (NEWG) held a virtual meeting on Thursday, August 27, 2025.
Past Meetings
The thirtieth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
The twenty-ninth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Thursday, August 22, 2024.
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BRAIN%20MCWG_Agenda_August2024_public_508C.pdf (103.56 KB) -
NIH-BRAIN-MCWG-meeting-summary-Aug-2024_0.pdf (153.83 KB) - Twenty-ninth meeting videocast of the open session
The twenty-eighth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
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BRAIN_MCWG_Agenda_May2024_PUBLIC_FINAL_508C.pdf (86.25 KB) -
NIH%20BRAIN%20MCWG%20meeting%20summary%20May%202024_final_508C.pdf (126.15 KB) - Twenty-eighth meeting videocast of the open session
The twenty-seventh meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
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BRAIN_MCWG_Agenda_Feb2024_public_508C.pdf (125.14 KB) -
NIH%20BRAIN%20MCWG%20meeting%20summary%20February%2013%202024_508C.pdf (213.18 KB) - Twenty-seventh meeting videocast of the open session
The twenty-sixth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.
The twenty-fifth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.
The twenty-fourth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
The twenty-third meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
The twenty-second meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Monday, May 16, 2022.
The twenty-first meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Tuesday, January 25, 2022.
The twentieth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Friday, August 20, 2021.
The nineteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Thursday, May 20, 2021.
The eighteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Wednesday, January 27, 2021.
The seventeenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Friday, August 21, 2020.
The sixteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held as an all-virtual meeting on Friday, May 22, 2020.
The fifteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Friday, January 31, 2020, at 6700 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD.
The fourteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, at 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD.
The thirteenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working group was held on Thursday, May 16, 2019, at 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD.
The twelfth meeting of the Multi-Council Working group was held on Monday February 11-Tuesday, February 12, 2019, at the Bethesda Marriott in Bethesda, MD.
The eleventh meeting of the Multi-Council Working group was held on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, at the Porter Neuroscience Building on the NIH campus.
The tenth meeting of the Multi-Council Working group was held on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, at 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD.
The ninth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, as a WebEx virtual meeting.
The eighth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Thursday, August 17, 2017, in Building 50 on NIH campus.
The seventh meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, as a WebEx teleconference.
The sixth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Tuesday, February 14-Wednesday, February 15, 2017, at the NIH Porter Neuroscience Research Center (35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892).
The fifth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Tuesday, August 2, 2016, at the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC-Downtown (815 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005).
The fourth meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group was held on Monday, February 8, 2016, at 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD.
The third meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Wednesday, July 30, 2015, at 5635 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, Rooms 508/509.
The second meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred on Wednesday, March 4, 2015, on the NIH Campus.
The first meeting of the Multi-Council Working Group occurred Monday, August 25, 2014, on the NIH Campus.
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