RECOGNIZING BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK

On 2025-03-11, Representative Morgan Luttrell (R-TX-8) delivered a floor speech titled "RECOGNIZING BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered taxes, the environment.

RECOGNIZING BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 45 (Tuesday, March 11, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 11, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1073-H1074] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK (Mr. Luttrell of Texas was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. LUTTRELL. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize March 10 through March 16 as Brain Awareness Week. During Brain Awareness Week, neuroscientists around the world educate young students and the public on the wonders of the human brain. These activities will contribute to a public understanding of brain function, scientific research, and bring awareness to the brain disorders and diseases that directly affect the lives of nearly 100 million Americans. Groups such as the Society for Neuroscience meet with legislators across Capitol Hill to educate us on the biggest issues facing scientists today, including the importance of robust funding for research agencies and programs such as the NIH and the BRAIN Initiative. Researchers across the country rely on this funding to be able to conduct their groundbreaking work into a variety of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, traumatic brain injuries, and mental health disorders. It is our responsibility to ensure funding continues because the potential to find a cure isn't a matter of if, but absolutely when. One of the leading programs in advancing our understanding of the brain has been the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies, the BRAIN Initiative. The BRAIN Initiative has been instrumental in developing tools and technologies revolutionizing the field of neuroscience. For more than a decade, research supported by the BRAIN Initiative has led to major breakthroughs. For example, researchers have gained new knowledge on how the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information. Basic research such as this is critically important to find cures and treatments for disease and brain disorders. The BRAIN Initiative has resulted in numerous key accomplishments that have fundamentally changed our understanding of the brain's neural circuits. The BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network revealed the genetic, cellular, and structural makeup of the human brain and nonhuman primate brain, paving the way for a new generation of precision treatments for people with brain disorders. Researchers have been able to develop the first complete cell atlas of a whole mouse brain through the BRAIN Initiative which characterizes more than 32 million cells across the mouse's brain and provides critical information that extends to the study of neural circuits and how they underpin behavior in health and disease. The impact of BRAIN Initiative is far-reaching. Through separate research projects, BRAIN-funding cells census tools are being used to actively investigate disorders of the brain such as Alzheimer's disease and opioid use disorder. The BRAIN Initiative has also transformed the way we do science, fostering collaborations among large teams of researchers. This collaborative approach has enabled researchers to tackle large problems and deliver knowledge and resources on a scale not previously possible in neurosciences. These accomplishments are expanding our fundamental knowledge of brain function and paving the way [[Page H1074]] for novel approaches to diagnose, treat, and ultimately prevent neurological disorders. BRAIN is lifting all boats, ranging from basic science to disease- focused research in a complex neuroscience research ecosystem involving government, industry, philanthropy, and healthcare systems. Building on a remarkable decade of innovation and discovery, the BRAIN Initiative is now setting its sights high with large-scale projects aiming to break current barriers in knowledge and technology related to human brain science, and it is critical we continue to support and invest in this initiative moving forward. In addition to all the amazing work being done in brain disease and disorders, we should also, as a forward-thinking, innovative country, become citizen scientists curious about how to sustain brain health, even in the absence of disease or disorder. Viewing the brain from more than a medical perspective to include thinking proactively about optimizing its daily performance is what Brain Awareness Week can inspire. Imagine a world where information and tools that can benefit the brain of every American, regardless of age or stage, were accessible to all. The impact on education, industry, and military would be profound. It is vital that we inspire the next generation of scientists to continue brain research. The discoveries made by these future scientists will shape the next frontier of medicine, unlocking new treatments, therapies, and ultimately cures for conditions that affect millions of families across our Nation. Madam Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Brain Awareness Week and the contributions that thousands of dedicated scientists are making to unlock these mysteries behind the human brain. ____________________