An Interdisciplinary Approach to Neuroscience

BNRU organised and hosted the meeting, which brought together scientists and experts in humanities, philosophy and applied sciences, to discuss the future development of neuroscience and neurotechnology in Russia and beyond. More than 150 people took part in the seminar, among them University staff and students, as well as local teachers and schoolchildren.
Professor Andrei Peresypkin, Vice-Rector for the Strategic Implementation of Development Programs, welcomed delegates, and noted the importance of holding a seminar on the most pressing issues in science today. He pointed out that, “Modern neuroscience and neurotechnology is an area of innovation in the top 10 of the most promising competitive markets in Russia, and around the world.”
Timur Bergaliyev, General Director of the 'BiTronics Lab' at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, gave a breathtaking presentation and demonstration on neurotechnology. He showcased the pinnacle of Russian achievement in this field, and showed that psychophysiology and electronics can and should work hand in glove in the modern world. Tatyana Gorelova showed, in theory and practice, the applications of neurological fitness and functional bio-control systems in the correction of detrimental psychological and emotional states. She is a Practical Psychologist working for the 'Amalthea' company, which produces neurobiological equipment in St. Petersburg. Maria Sitnikova, Andrei Afonin and Kamil Davletchurin, researchers from BNRU's Neural Production and Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Laboratory, gave a lecture on modern methods of neural imaging. They demonstrated possible uses of Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy, a recent arrival in Russia, as a new tool in neurocognitive studies.

The seminar saw the launch of the 'Cognitive Neuroscience and Neurotechnology' Masters program which will be offered to postgraduates at BNRU from the start of the 2019 academic year. The program was made possible with funding from the Vladimir Potanin Foundation.

Dr Valentina Grebneva, Acting Head of the Pedagogical Institute's Faculty of Psychology, concluded the seminar with an expression of the excitement such a course has generated at BNRU. This interdisciplinary approach will unite the skills of psychologists, engineers, and programmers in a potentially crucial area of human development.