McGovern Institute for Brain Research

The McGovern Institute for Brain Research is a research institute within Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Its mission is to understand how the brain works and to discover new ways to prevent or treat brain disorders. The institute was founded in 2000 by Patrick McGovern and Lore Harp McGovern with a gift to MIT that is expected to total $350M over 20 years.

The director is Robert Desimone, formerly director of intramural research at the National Institute for Mental Health. The 19 current faculty members include a Nobel laureate (H. Robert Horvitz), a winner of the US National Medal of Science (Ann Graybiel) and 5 members of the US National Academy of Sciences (Desimone, Horvitz and Graybiel, along with Emilio Bizzi and Nancy Kanwisher). The founding director (2000-2004) was Phillip Sharp, also a Nobel Laureate.

The McGovern Institute conducts research into all aspects of brain function, including perception, cognition and action. It also conducts clinical and translational research on a wide range of brain disorders.

The Institute’s core facilities include the Martinos Imaging Center, which provides neuroimaging technologies for human and animal research, including MRI, EEG and MEG.

The McGovern Institute occupies approximately 85,000 sq ft (net) within the MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex. This building, which was completed in 2005, also houses the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and is among the largest neuroscience research buildings in the world. The building was designed by Indian architect Charles Correa in collaboration with the Boston-based firm Goody, Clancy & Associates, Inc. It is one of the most distinctive landmarks on the MIT campus, notable especially for the Grand Junction railroad that runs through the center of the building.