A new institute is serving as a nucleus for brain research at Peking University. Brain research is multidisciplinary by nature, and it has been traditionally distributed in many departments at Peking University. The establishment of the IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Peking University (MIBR) has made a major contribution by integrating faculty members and students from departments ranging from biology, psychology, physics, and medicine to psychiatry.

On August 20thand 21stof 2013, MIBR brought together PKU researchers in neural and cognitive sciences across the entire university by organizing the first MIBR symposium. Nearly 200 students and faculty members gathered for the symposium. Fourteen faculty members gave talks, and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows presented about 70 posters. Topics covered brain imaging, genomics, optogenetics, sensory processing, cognition as well as neurological and psychiatric diseases. Students and faculty members were excited to hear results in cutting-edge research, made critical comments, and established new connections for further academic exchanges and collaborations. Twelve students received “Excellent Poster” awards.