By Rachelle S. Doody, M.D., Ph.D, and John Q. Trojanowski, M.D., Ph.D

Recently, researchers voiced concerns that the government shutdown could kill President Obama’s ambitious project to significantly expand our limited understanding of how the human brain functions.

The plan, known as BRAIN (or, Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies), has been compared to President Kennedy’s moonshot and the mapping of the human genome. Like these projects, it will require a massive effort of many diverse scientists and huge public and governmental support.

But there is another concern related to BRAIN that, beyond any congressionally induced roadblocks, could delay the application of this massive scientific effort to advance public health: BRAIN lacks clearly defined and relevant goals.

Read the full opinion piece online here.