The Korea Brain Research Institute and the IBI Emotional Working Group recently hosted the 2025 IBI Daegu Conference on October 20-22, 2025 in Daegu, Korea. The conference was an inspiring gathering of distinguished international speakers, faculty members, trainees, and guests from both local and international partners dedicated to advancing scientific understanding and fostering new perspectives on the ways emotional states influence cognition, behavior, and psychiatric conditions.

The IBI is pleased to share that Dr. Anthony J. Hannan has assumed the role of Chair of the IBI Executive Committee. As the Chair, Dr. Hannan will continue to carry forward the ongoing efforts of the IBI for a border-free global science, scholarship, and innovation for the brain that are catalyzed by the critical engagement of large-scale brain initiatives and unprecedented opportunities for international collaboration.

After two years dedicated to building a unifying framework for stakeholder initiatives in brain research, implementing transnational funding and facilitating other essential activities to support and enhance the partnership’s objectives, the CSA BrainHealth consortium hosted its Final Conference on October 15, 2025 at Brussels, Belgium. 

The IBI Neurodiplomacy working group was launched soon after the first African high-level science summit held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in July and August 2024. The goal of the platform is for neurodiplomacy stakeholders worldwide to engage and accelerate the vision of IBI for the promotion of brain health for all people.

Congratulations to Dr. Judy Illes, IBI Chair, for receiving the CSPC 2025 Trailblazer Award in Science for Policy in recognition of her trailblazing work and its profound impact on policy making in Canada and around the world!

In parallel with the Science Summit during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, the IBI delegation engaged in multiple sessions on global brain health and economy.

WHO has recognized mental health and, more recently, brain health as public health priorities. This momentum was further advanced at the National, Regional, and International Plans for Brain and Mental Health: Bridging the Gaps (June 12–13, 2025) symposium organized by the Swiss Brain Health Plan and the Swiss Brain Health Foundation. The event united global experts around a transformative vision: brain health must be embraced as a positive, fundamental component of overall health and human potential beyond the absence of disease.

Dr. Judy Illes, IBI Chair, delivered a keynote lecture on Advancing New Partnerships for Global Brain Health at the first summit of the Latin American Brain (LATBrain) Initiative on September 4, 2025 at the Aging Research Center, South Unit of the Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Mexico City, Mexico.

IBI Chair, Dr. Judy Illes, recently hosted a discussion with Dr. Luisa Rocha on LATBrain’s role in global neuroscience collaboration. Dr. Rocha is Mexico’s official representative in LATBrain and is the general coordinator of the initiative. She is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacobiology at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV) in Mexico City, Mexico.

The Board of Directors of the International Neuroethics Society has voted to appoint Professor Marcello Ienca, IBI Neuroethics Working Group Lead, to the position of President-Elect for one year and to serve as its next President for two years starting in 2026.

No opening of the cranium, no cutting into the brain, no blood. Today's precise psychosurgery presents options for patients with treatment-resistant disorders. IBI Chair, Dr. Judy Illes, together with other experts, discuss the ethics of emerging neurotechnologies.

Dr. Melissa Perreault, IBI Crosscultural Working Group Lead, delivered a keynote lecture on diversity, equity and inclusivity in neuroscience at the 29th Annual Meeting of the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology on July 14, 2025 at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

The goal of this new IBI initiative is to advocate for the meaningful involvement of Indigenous persons and communities in new technologies, particularly those related to the brain and mind.

The International Brain Initiative (IBI) is pleased to announce that Dr. Noor Al Dahhan (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, SickKids), has been awarded the 2025 IBI–Canada Early Career Neuroscientist Award.

IBI Crosscultural Working Group member, Dr. Olivia Matshabane, was recently awarded one of the 2025 International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) Rising Stars Awards.

The IBI Early Career Neuroscientist Award (Canada) is now accepting applications! The award will support an eligible Postdoctoral Fellow or Early Career Faculty member at a Canadian institution to attend the 2025 IBI Daegu Conference: Emotional Brain Mapping in Health & Disease, on October 20 – 22, 2025, in South Korea.

Representing Cameroon, Dr. Alfred K. Njamnshi (IBI Neurodiplomacy Working Group Lead) participated at UNESCO's Intergovernmental Meeting on the draft Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology held on May 12 - 16, 2025 at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.

The International Neuroethics Society’s Public Communication and Publishing Affinity Group released its second issue of the Neuroethics Magazine on global neuroethics.

IBI Members were present at the International Neuroethics Society’s Annual General Meeting (Neuroethics 2025) held at Munich, Germany on April 23-25, 2025. The IBI Neuroethics Working Group hosted a joint session with IEEE Standards on Global Neuroethics, and explored opportunities and challenges in developing cross-national ethical frameworks for neuroscience and neurotechnology. The panel featured Drs. Marcello Ienca, Tamami Fukushi, Katherine Bassil, Jennifer Chandler, and Judy Illes. In addition, Dr. Linda Chaabane presented on the work of IBI Partner, Euro-BioImaging, during its session on portable AI-enabled MRI technologies (pMRI).

The IBI is excited to launch joint fellowship opportunities with host institutions from around the world, including Canada, Germany, South Korea, and China!