Congressman Fattah to Join Brain Observatory Workshop in Chicago

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Friday, October 16, Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) will speak to an audience of science and industry related professionals at a Brain Observatory workshop in Chicago. Argonne National Laboratory—one of 17 national labs part of the Department of Energy—is organizing the event.

Fattah has led the efforts in Congress to establish a National Brain Observatory to better pool and focus national resources on finding solutions to brain disease and trauma. He successfully secured $3 million for its establishment in the most recent Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill.

The workshop will involve discussions on the future structure and role of a National Brain Observatory. In addition to leading researchers and scientists from the neuroscience community, Fattah will engage stakeholders including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), universities, and private foundations.

"The National Brain Observatory has been a goal of mine for years, and to see it begin to take shape after much work by the scientific and government community is exciting," Congressman Fattah said. "I am extremely proud to be a part of this week's convening as we look ahead at the future of the observatory, and launch a series of discussions on its role and impact within the larger neuroscience community. The establishment of the National Brain Observatory will be groundbreaking in terms of the progress it represents."

Fattah spearheaded the efforts to establish a National Brain Observatory in the FY 15 CJS Appropriations Bill. As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, he has pushed for heightened attention to brain research in Congress and has successfully increased neuroscience funding for the National Science Foundation to a record $146.9 million in the FY 16 Appropriations Bill.

The Brain Observatory was one of several priorities of the Fattah Neuroscience Initiative, established in 2011 with a goal of making groundbreaking progress in brain research and elevating neuroscience as a federal priority in the United States.

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah

Related Links

http://www.fattah.house.gov