University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Charles R. Drew University for Science and Medicine 

In partnership with the Dana Foundation, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) establish a collaborative Dana Center for Neuroscience & Society. Drawing on principles of human-centered design (HCD) and partnering with members of underrepresented communities, the Center develops a novel community-participatory and community-embedded approach to neuroscience research and training. 

Building on the institutional infrastructure of UCLA (the nation’s top-ranked public university) and CDU (a leading Historically Black Health Science Institute and Hispanic Serving Institution), as well as the local infrastructure of Los Angeles County (one of the most diverse counties in the country), the Center brings together scholars from neuroscience, social science, and the humanities to work with clinician-scholars and community partners. The goal is to develop new approaches and pedagogies that improve the societal consequences of neuroscientific knowledge, transforming how neuroscience is conducted so it serves all sectors of society.  

The Center begins with the lived experiences of those whose needs and expertise have been historically underrepresented. It acts as a creative incubator for generating new ways to develop research collaborations, train the next generation of scholars, and affect social change in genuine partnership with community members. 

The Center’s work aligns with the Dana Frontiers objectives to pilot innovative multidirectional engagement opportunities to embed community perspectives in research, policy, and decision-making and to support and empower neuroscience and society practitioners who champion inclusive, effective models of multidirectional engagement with diverse publics so that more communities can use neuroscience to address their priorities.