Central Asia's first brain institute launches in Almaty
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University hosted a ceremony to open the Institute of Brain, the first specialized research and education center of its kind in Central Asia, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
The landmark event, marking the 80th anniversary of Kazakhstan's National Academy of Sciences, represents an important step in implementing state policy to strengthen the country's scientific and technological potential.
The ceremony was attended by Al-Farabi Kazakh National University Board Chairman and Rector Zhanseit Tuimebayev, President of the National Academy of Sciences Akylbek Kurishbayev, representatives of government agencies, scientific organizations, medical centers, and universities from Kazakhstan, as well as international partners.
The institute is based on the Cognitive Neuroscience Center at KazNU, established in 2018, and is the result of years of work to develop brain research and train a new generation of specialists. Research will be conducted using world-class equipment, including a 3 T MRI scanner, high-density ANT Neuro EEG systems, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology, as well as artificial intelligence and big data analytics methods.
Opening the ceremony, Tuimebayev emphasized that Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has identified the development of science as a national priority.
"Enhancing the scientific and technological potential, strengthening interdisciplinary research, and introducing innovations into production are the main priorities facing the entire scientific and educational community. Al-Farabi KazNU, as the country's leading university, is always the first to respond to these challenges. In this regard, the opening of the new Brain Institute is a tangible and significant result of state policy," the rector said.
The President of the National Academy of Sciences, Akylbek Kurishbayev, highly praised the significance of the new institution for domestic science. According to him, the creation of the institute is an example of successful collaboration between the leading university and the Academy of Sciences. He emphasized that this is a crucial step in strengthening the country's intellectual sovereignty and developing human capital.
The institute, headed by Professor Almira Kustubayeva, brings together laboratories of cognitive, behavioral, and computational neuroscience, as well as neurolinguistics. The institute's main research areas include studying brain development in health and disease, cognitive functions, neurodegenerative diseases, the mechanisms of emotions and decision-making, the neurolinguistics of multilingualism, and the development of new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.
Previously, Qazinform News Agency reported that brain scans revealed new clues about autism and social bonds.
