Brain, Mind & Consciousness
What are the origins and mechanisms of consciousness?
The quality of our consciousness is what sets us apart from other species and seems to be one of the defining traits of being human. Yet the nature of consciousness remains a mystery. The Brain, Mind & Consciousness program brings together neuroscientists, philosophers, and psychologists to grapple with the fundamental underpinnings of consciousness, relating the findings to biology on the one hand and to philosophical questions on the other.
IMPACT CLUSTERS
The Brain, Mind & Consciousness program is part of the following CIFAR Impact Clusters: Decoding Complex Brains and Data and Shaping the Future of Human Health. CIFAR’s research programs are organized into 5 distinct Impact Clusters that address significant global issues and are committed to fostering an environment in which breakthroughs emerge.
RESEARCH AND SOCIETAL IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS
Findings on the long-term effects of COVID-19 on cognition
CIFAR Advisor David Menon (University of Cambridge) and program Co-Director and Koerner Fellow Adrian Owen (Western University) co-authored a large-scale study that discovered a relationship between “long COVID,” “brain fog” and cognitive deficit. The study showed that these are present for patients who experienced varying severity of COVID-19 symptoms, as well as the relationship of long COVID to physical symptoms and mental health.
Consciousness theories studies (ConTraSt) database
CIFAR Fellow Lucia Melloni (Max Planck Institute), Tanenbaum Fellow Liad Mudrik (Tel Aviv University) and collaborators launched a database that enables a birds' eye view of the field of consciousness — across definitions, methodologies, populations and findings — as well as looking for possible biases with respect to testing particular theories. This database synthesizes reams of data to allow future researchers to expedite studies and analyze trends in the field of consciousness.
Path to Societal Impact
We invite experts in industry, civil society, healthcare and government to join fellows in our Brain, Mind & Consciousness program for in-depth, cross-sectoral conversations that drive change and innovation.
Leaders in extended reality (XR, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality) and CIFAR fellows in the Brain, Mind & Consciousness program are developing more immersive XR experiences, while deepening the understanding of how our minds perceive reality.
Areas of focus:
- Understanding what makes an experience immersive
- Developing immersive extended realities
- Using XR as a tool to study the brain and body
Founded
2014
Renewal Dates
2020
Partners
Anonymous partner
Supporters
Michael and Sonja Koerner Charitable Foundation, The Lawrence & Judith Tanenbaum Family Foundation, Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Neuroscience, including cognitive neuroscience
Biological and cognitive psychology
Computer science, including artificial intelligence
Genetics
Philosophy, including ethics
Law
CIFAR Contact
Fellows & Advisors
Program Directors
Adrian M. Owen
Program Co-Director
Koerner Fellow
Anil K. Seth
Program Co-Director
Fellows
Tim Bayne
Fellow
Axel Cleeremans
Fellow
Steve Fleming
Fellow
Atsushi Iriki
Fellow
Robert Kentridge
Fellow
Marcello Massimini
Fellow
Jason B. Mattingley
Fellow
Lucia Melloni
Fellow
Liad Mudrik
Tanenbaum Fellow
Adrian M. Owen
Program Co-Director
Koerner Fellow
Aniruddh Patel
Fellow
Isabelle Peretz
Associate Fellow
Megan Peters
Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Catherine Tallon-Baudry
Fellow
Laurel Trainor
Fellow
Nicholas Turk-Browne
Fellow
Sandra Waxman
Associate Fellow
Robert Zatorre
Fellow
Advisors
Stanislas Dehaene
Advisor
Daniel Dennett
Advisor
Melvyn Goodale
Advisory Committee Chair
Rafael Malach
Advisor
David K. Menon
Advisor
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars
Sahba Nomvula Besharati
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2021-2023
Craig Chapman
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2016-2018
Michael Cohen
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2021-2023
Catherine Duclos
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2023-2025
Université de Montréal
Guillaume Dumas
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2023-2025
Christopher Krupenye
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2023-2025
Katherine McAuliffe
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2017-2019
Megan Peters
Fellow
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Kanaka Rajan
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2023-2025
Adeel Razi
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2021-2023
Joshua Shepherd
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Identity & Well Being
University of Barcelona
Lucina Q. Uddin
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2018-2020
Filip Van Opstal
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2019-2021
Yaniv Ziv
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2018-2020
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CIFAR is a registered charitable organization supported by the governments of Canada and Quebec, as well as foundations, individuals, corporations and Canadian and international partner organizations.