The Rice Brain Institute is a cross-disciplinary institute that unites the expertise of over sixty-five Rice engineers, neuroscientists, and cognitive scientists, with experts in policy and ethics to holistically understand brain function to improve treatments for the most pressing diseases of the central nervous and related systems. Brain health is central to human well-being, creativity, productivity, and societal resilience, yet traditional academic approaches remain fragmented across disciplines, including neuroscience, neuroengineering, psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, public health, and economics. The Rice Brain Institute mission is to improve brain health through an outcomes-oriented transdisciplinary research framework where treatments for neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia, depression, ALS, and paralysis are coordinated from basic science research at the earliest stages through to the development of interventions, such as new treatments, technologies, or policies, that can be deployed at scale for the benefit of society. Because the brain is the most complex organ in the body, we must address this challenge by building a transdisciplinary institute that combines fundamental science with state-of-the-art engineering, medicine, policy, community engagement, and workforce development. Rice University, in close collaboration with the Texas Medical Center, is uniquely poised to become a world leader in this effort to improve brain health throughout society. Indeed, the economic impacts of brain health disorders are estimated to contribute to $3.46 trillion per year in lost productivity and medical costs, and this is rising at approximately 3% per year. Finding solutions to this impending crisis is a global imperative.
The Rice Brain Institute consists of three pillars of studies and innovations:
- Neuroscience is focused on unraveling the mysteries of the human brain and nervous system. Neuroscience includes scientists focused on length scales from molecules to organisms, using a range of advanced experimental and theoretical methods.
- Neuroengineering brings engineering tools to interface with the brain, enabling the understanding of its functionality and facilitating the transition from an unhealthy state to a healthy one. These tools include mesoscale electrodes to facilitate probing brain functionality and dynamics, high-resolution imaging, and multi-modal stimulation.
- Brain and Society situates the study of the brain in broader societal contexts, bringing expertise in the applied, translational, and policy sciences to develop effective pathways that enable societal and policy impacts through the basic science understanding of the brain and the development of novel engineering interventions.
The institute, which has three vertical initiatives, enables cross-cutting opportunities to facilitate the development of neuro policies, commercialization, education, a trained workforce, communities, and corporate engagement.
RBI’s Mission: “10 by 10”
Houston — the nation’s fourth-largest and most diverse city — will serve as our living laboratory. Over the next decade, we will demonstrate how innovation, collaboration, and the unique energy of this community can drive meaningful change and create a model for the future.
- 10% reduced mortality rate due to neurodegenerative disorders
- 10% reduced rate of mental health disorders
- 10% increase in quality of life for people with brain injuries
- 10% increase in opportunities and outcomes for neurodevelopmental disorders
We estimate that achieving these goals will provide a major boost to the Houston economy via reduced health costs, improved workforce participation, and jobs in research and innovation.