Zul: The brain in its functioning (operations) creates your thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Neuroscience is about understanding how the brain works and understanding the complexity of how nerve cells communicate with each other using chemicals, electric currents, and the neurons' physical connections. It helps us understand why people react to different types of stimuli differently, for example, why stress reactions can become prolonged for people with post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD); or why some people respond one way, while others are more resilient to stressors. These are some mental illnesses that can be understood through neuroscience. For example, for those with PTSD, how are their brain circuits working differently compared to those who aren't experiencing it? Neuroscience aims to understand how cells and circuits work in normal brains versus those suffering from various mental ill-health or neurological conditions.

Zul: As it is a rapidly growing science, discoveries are made every day, and new things about the brain's functioning are discovered daily, shown by an exponential rise in scientific publications related to neuroscience.  In addition, we are now better able to understand how our brains can sometimes be ‘hijacked’ by external chemicals, such as drugs of abuse like cocaine, alcohol, and opioids. We also learn how the brain receptors that are designed to ‘talk’ to the brain’s own neurotransmitters get ‘sabotaged’ by external drugs. For example, there are chemicals within the brain similar to narcotics, opioids, or other types of drugs like cannabinoids. However, because these external agents are so powerful, they overwhelm those receptors and circuits, to alter brain functioning. Hence, it is fascinating to understand how certain chemicals can affect the brain’s normal functioning, to impact behavior. 

Zul: Growing up in Africa, I noticed that while new medications were being introduced for different health conditions, including neurological and mental health conditions, they were not always available locally, and when available, they often were not easily accessible or affordable to everyone. As a result, people often resorted to alternative therapies to deal with their issues, whether it was talking to Shamans, religious leaders, or using natural products or plant-based treatments. I was particularly fascinated by how plants were used to treat health conditions. That piqued my interest in understanding how natural products influence body functions, which later drew my attention to the brain and that became my start in this domain. My area of expertise is in psychopharmacology, which is the study of chemicals (both natural and synthetic), living systems in general, and how they affect brain processes.

 

Zul: The focus is on brain health. Through neuroscience, we explore mechanisms or underpinnings of brain functions; how it prepares the body to react to various stressors (biological, social, or environmental challenges) to ensure homeostasis and survival. 

There are numerous methods for studying the brain, so BMI intends to establish cutting-edge research laboratories equipped with the necessary tools to study behavior and underlying neuronal processes of people with mental illness or neurological conditions.  We will also be equipped with tools that can manipulate brain activity using non-invasive methods such as repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and virtual reality. By understanding how brain functions, we hope to find solutions to “fix the rogue circuits” in the brain, through research and innovation.

 

Zul: Working in the brain sciences is all about finding solutions to ‘heal’ the brains of those with mental or neurological disorders. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could discover rapid solutions so that people do not have to suffer the consequences of those conditions? I’ve talked to many neuroscientists and it is clear to me that they would like nothing more than find solutions for people suffering in silence; we all want to find ways to repair the brain and make it more resilient to social, environmental, or biological stressors. 

When I was young, we were taught that brain function once lost, to brain damage or cell death, could never be recovered. Today we realize how wrong that line of thinking was. The brain is very plastic - and able to repair itself. There are cells in the brain - like stem cells - that can replace damaged or destroyed cells. Consequently, restoring brain function (neuroplasticity) is possibly one of the most hopeful and exciting shifts in our approach. This, by the way, is depicted by the green leaf within the brain depicting a growth mindset, in Brain and Mind Institute’s logo.