[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 11, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1073-H1074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK

  (Mr. Luttrell of Texas was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. LUTTRELL. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize March 10 through 
March 16 as Brain Awareness Week.
  During Brain Awareness Week, neuroscientists around the world educate 
young students and the public on the wonders of the human brain. These 
activities will contribute to a public understanding of brain function, 
scientific research, and bring awareness to the brain disorders and 
diseases that directly affect the lives of nearly 100 million 
Americans.
  Groups such as the Society for Neuroscience meet with legislators 
across Capitol Hill to educate us on the biggest issues facing 
scientists today, including the importance of robust funding for 
research agencies and programs such as the NIH and the BRAIN 
Initiative.
  Researchers across the country rely on this funding to be able to 
conduct their groundbreaking work into a variety of neurological 
diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, traumatic brain injuries, 
and mental health disorders.
  It is our responsibility to ensure funding continues because the 
potential to find a cure isn't a matter of if, but absolutely when.
  One of the leading programs in advancing our understanding of the 
brain has been the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative 
Neurotechnologies, the BRAIN Initiative.
  The BRAIN Initiative has been instrumental in developing tools and 
technologies revolutionizing the field of neuroscience. For more than a 
decade, research supported by the BRAIN Initiative has led to major 
breakthroughs. For example, researchers have gained new knowledge on 
how the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information. Basic 
research such as this is critically important to find cures and 
treatments for disease and brain disorders.
  The BRAIN Initiative has resulted in numerous key accomplishments 
that have fundamentally changed our understanding of the brain's neural 
circuits. The BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network revealed the 
genetic, cellular, and structural makeup of the human brain and 
nonhuman primate brain, paving the way for a new generation of 
precision treatments for people with brain disorders.
  Researchers have been able to develop the first complete cell atlas 
of a whole mouse brain through the BRAIN Initiative which characterizes 
more than 32 million cells across the mouse's brain and provides 
critical information that extends to the study of neural circuits and 
how they underpin behavior in health and disease.
  The impact of BRAIN Initiative is far-reaching. Through separate 
research projects, BRAIN-funding cells census tools are being used to 
actively investigate disorders of the brain such as Alzheimer's disease 
and opioid use disorder.
  The BRAIN Initiative has also transformed the way we do science, 
fostering collaborations among large teams of researchers. This 
collaborative approach has enabled researchers to tackle large problems 
and deliver knowledge and resources on a scale not previously possible 
in neurosciences. These accomplishments are expanding our fundamental 
knowledge of brain function and paving the way

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for novel approaches to diagnose, treat, and ultimately prevent 
neurological disorders.
  BRAIN is lifting all boats, ranging from basic science to disease-
focused research in a complex neuroscience research ecosystem involving 
government, industry, philanthropy, and healthcare systems.
  Building on a remarkable decade of innovation and discovery, the 
BRAIN Initiative is now setting its sights high with large-scale 
projects aiming to break current barriers in knowledge and technology 
related to human brain science, and it is critical we continue to 
support and invest in this initiative moving forward.
  In addition to all the amazing work being done in brain disease and 
disorders, we should also, as a forward-thinking, innovative country, 
become citizen scientists curious about how to sustain brain health, 
even in the absence of disease or disorder.
  Viewing the brain from more than a medical perspective to include 
thinking proactively about optimizing its daily performance is what 
Brain Awareness Week can inspire.
  Imagine a world where information and tools that can benefit the 
brain of every American, regardless of age or stage, were accessible to 
all. The impact on education, industry, and military would be profound. 
It is vital that we inspire the next generation of scientists to 
continue brain research. The discoveries made by these future 
scientists will shape the next frontier of medicine, unlocking new 
treatments, therapies, and ultimately cures for conditions that affect 
millions of families across our Nation.
  Madam Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus, 
I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Brain Awareness Week and 
the contributions that thousands of dedicated scientists are making to 
unlock these mysteries behind the human brain.

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