The Second Interdisciplinary Seminar on Brain and Cognition, Shiraz, Iran

Recent global strategic initiatives on human brain have prompted policy makers to develop medium to long-term views and an analysis of future research developments with the aim of defining research agendas in neuroscience and cognitive science. With all ongoing efforts from Iranian neuroscientists, this has recently been the case in our community as well. As with all strategic activities, the Iranian Cognitive Science and Technologies Council and related authorities consider this topic timely to the advancement of science and of high-priority interest to the disciplines involved. In this respect the present communication highlights five key opportunities for advancing our understanding of the human brain including: 1the development of integrated neuropsychotherapeutic approaches to the treatment of psychiatric disorders; 2the development of more valid disease models for research in to psychiatric disorders’ 3an improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between biology and environment; 3more comparative and cross-disciplinary studies to explore how scientific concepts relating to the human brain are received and understood in different sociocultural context; and 5research into the legal and ethical implications of recent developments in the brain sciences, including behavioral screening and manipulation, and emerging neurotechnologies.