Celebrating 20 Years of KIBM

The Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind (KIBM) at UC San Diego (UCSD) was established in 2004 to advance understanding of the origins, evolution and mechanisms of human cognition, from the brain's physical and biochemical machinery to experiences and behaviors we call the mind. The institute has become a vibrant hub for research and discovery, not just at UCSD but for the broader La Jolla scientific community including the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. In 2012, KIBM expanded to include shared governance with the Salk Institute – a unique model among Kavli Institutes.

Today, KIBM hosts a research environment unhampered by disciplinary boundaries, providing scientists with opportunities for effective interdisciplinary integration of research and knowledge. Programs supported by the Institute include Innovative Research Grants, the Colors of the Brain-KIBM Scholars Program, Stories of Women in Neuroscience (WIN), and the KIBM Postdoctoral Scholars Program. In addition, The Kavli Foundation has provided funds for endowed chairs in partnership with other philanthropies.

The purpose of the KIBM Innovative Research Grant Program is to foster research focused on ideas that bridge different levels of organization of brain and mind. A goal of this program is to stimulate testing of hypotheses for which no standard funding stream is available. The program supports innovative, risky projects from which a high payoff could be obtained.

Colors of the Brain is a UCSD student organization founded in 2016 to diversify STEM graduate education by providing undergraduate students from historically underrepresented backgrounds with invested graduate student mentors who have gone through the transition into Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D research programs. The program provides a supportive environment where undergraduate students can get assistance with reviewing and editing their resumes/CVs and applications for various academic opportunities, ranging from conference travel awards and research positions to graduate program applications. The Colors of the Brain – KIBM Scholars Program provides selected UCSD undergraduates with paid summer research opportunities and training. A publication about their approach was recently published in Nature.

Stories of WIN is a collection of profiles – written features and podcast episodes – showcasing women in neuroscience. The team has profiled over 100 women so far, from postdoctoral fellows to full professors, and including Black, Latina, Asian, and LGBTQ+ voices.

The KIBM Postdoctoral Scholars Program provides both financial support and networking opportunities for exceptional postdoctoral scholars at UC San Diego and The Salk Institute to pursue innovative research in neuroscience.

The 20th anniversary symposium held October 28, 2024, entitled, “The Generative Mind: Biological and Artificial Intelligence,” both celebrated this milestone for the Kavli Institute and highlighted its vibrant research community and their place at the forefront of neuroscience discovery.

“We thank the founding directors and members of the neuroscience community at UC San Diego and the Salk Institute for their contribution to support KIBM as a collaborative hub in neuroscience.” said KIBM Co-Director Yishi Jin, who is the Junior Seau Foundation Endowed Chair in Traumatic Brain Injury at UC San Diego.

“We are grateful to The Kavli Foundation for providing generous endowed funds that allow us to support activities that strengthen and build on our diverse San Diego neuroscience community,” said KIBM Co-Director Edward Callaway, who is a Professor of Systems Neurobiology and Vincent J. Coates Chair in Molecular Neurobiology at Salk.