We live in a time of unprecedented discovery within the brain and nervous system. More than ever before, technological advances in genetics, stem cells, proteomics, and imaging enable a deeper understanding of the molecular and physiological processes of this most complex system. At the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we imagine a future where this knowledge of the brain and nervous system offers limitless potential to better treat and even cure neurological and psychiatric disease. The Friedman Brain Institute’s Research Scholars Program renews the efforts of our already world-class neuroscience research programs by supporting fresh approaches by up-and-coming scientists.

Science and Research

The Research Scholars Program supports innovative and collaborative pilot brain research across the Mount Sinai Health System. We aim to give our most promising researchers, whether they are in the early phases of their careers or are more established and venturing into a new area of investigation, the freedom and flexibility to follow science wherever it leads. Emphasis is placed on translational research, driving creative ways to advancing discoveries in the laboratory into the new diagnostic tests and treatments in the clinic. Emphasis is also placed on collaborative research that bridges several levels of analyses to advance discoveries to the clinic.

The Program is open to all Icahn Mount Sinai faculty. Priority is given to early and mid-career investigators who seek to form new collaborations with colleagues in other disciplines and to senior scientists who wish to undertake a project outside of their usual area of investigation. Projects are designed with a goal of generating the preliminary data needed to secure external funding from the National Institutes of Health or other sources. In fact, a robust majority of funded projects have succeeded in being published and in securing external funding to build upon these efforts.

Funding

There is a dedicated fund for our research scholars, and support is sustained through ongoing philanthropy by our most generous donors for which an award is made in their name.

Research scholars are selected on a competitive basis by an expert review committee led by Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Director of The Friedman Brain Institute, who ensures that the process is objective, thorough, and achieves the right balance of support for research. Research scholars present their work at an annual dinner where donors get to know the science and the scientists they are supporting.