$1M grant supports research initiative for racial equity in neuroscience

The Lieber Institute for Brain Development received a $1 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to fund efforts to promote racial equity in neuroscience, according to an institute press release.

The 2-year grant will support the African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Initiative (AANRI), which launched in 2019 as a collaboration between the Lieber Institute and the historically Black Morgan State University — both in Baltimore — and local leaders in the Black community.

“The mission of the AANRI is to tackle the issue of disparities in scientific research to build a more inclusive and healthy future for everyone,” Alvin C. Hathaway Sr., PhD, co-founder of AANRI and retired pastor of the Union Baptist Church in Baltimore, said in the release. “This generous grant will help us build on the work we’re already doing to extend the promise of personalized medicine to everyone. We’re ready to take AANRI to the next level.”

The grant will enable AANRI to advance ongoing research in brain disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism using genomics and other scientific methods. According to the release, much of the existing research uses data from people of European descent, with people of African descent accounting for only 5% of participants in brain disorder research.

“We’re uncovering the genetic roots of life-changing brain disorders in hopes of developing treatments and diagnostic tools that can help people genetically predisposed to neuropsychiatric diseases live long, healthy lives,” Daniel R. Weinberger, MD, Lieber Institute director and CEO, said in the release. “But if the data we use to make these discoveries don’t include people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, it’s hard to say whether scientific findings can apply to diverse patient populations. In our work at AANRI, we are partnering with the Black community to correct this injustice.”