The Lieber Institute for Brain Development has received a $1 million, two-year grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to support the work of the African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Initiative (AANRI) to promote racial equity throughout the field of neuroscience.
AANRI began in 2019 as a collaboration between African American community leaders in Baltimore, the Lieber Institute for Brain Development—located on the Johns Hopkins medical campus in Baltimore—and Morgan State University, a public historically Black university in Baltimore.
AANRI is a bold effort to establish a framework that advances substantive and sustainable progress toward equity across the biomedical research landscape. Its unique approach is to promote coordinated change across many domains of biomedical research, with communities of African ancestry leading the trajectory of the research agenda.
“The mission of the AANRI is to tackle the issue of disparities in scientific research to build a more inclusive and healthy future for everyone,” says Rev. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr., Co-Founder of AANRI and retired pastor of the historic Union Baptist Church in Baltimore. “This generous grant will help us build on the work we’re already doing to extend the promise of personalized medicine to everyone. We’re ready to take AANRI to the next level.”
“We’re uncovering the genetic roots of these life-changing developmental brain disorders in hopes of developing treatments and diagnostic tools that can help people genetically predisposed to neuropsychiatric diseases live long, healthy lives,” says Dr. Weinberger. “But if the data we use to make these discoveries don’t include people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, it’s hard to say whether scientific findings can apply to diverse patient populations. In our work at AANRI, we are partnering with the Black community to correct this injustice.”
The Lieber Institute for Brain Development uses genomics and other advanced scientific techniques to learn more about the roots of brain disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism. More than 81 percent of large-scale genomic datasets used in this type of research come from people of European descent, though those of European background make up less than 16 percent of the world population.
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The Lieber Institute is uniquely positioned for AANRI’s work. It is home to the world’s most extensive collection of postmortem human brains used for neuropsychiatric research—more than 4,000 donated brains, including more than 500 from people of African ancestry.
The funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative will help AANRI advance the critical research already underway. Lieber Institute scientists have been analyzing the genomic data from brains of African ancestry and are preparing to publish their initial findings later this year.
Human beings are 99.9 percent genetically identical. That 0.1 percent accounts for all human diversity on earth—and that’s the focus of AANRI, says Daniel R. Weinberger, M.D., Director and CEO of the Lieber Institute.
Founders Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg started their Initiative in 2015 to address widespread societal issues in health care, education and other vital areas. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative joins a distinguished group of funders that have supported AANRI in its first few years, including Brown Capital Management, the State of Maryland and the Abell Foundation.
Racial disparities exist in every aspect of neuroscience, from patient outcomes to staffing. The data illustrate the depth of these disparities:
- African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems and twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
- Suicide rates among African American children younger than 13 are twice those among children who come from European backgrounds.
- Only 5 percent of those who participate in research studies of brain disorders are people of African Ancestry.
- Just 4 percent of neuroscience PhDs go to Black scientists.
In addition to the biomedical research already underway, AANRI is creating a pipeline for more Black researchers to enter the neurosciences. It has enlisted Morgan State students to join the Lieber Institute for internships to prepare them for neuroscience careers. Morgan State has brought on Lieber Institute scientists to teach courses that introduce neuroscience concepts to its students.
Dr. Hathaway, who grew up with a brother who was developmentally disabled, says his work with AANRI is as much a calling as his career as a faith leader.
“I have seen the impact of racial health disparities in my own family and every day on the streets of Baltimore,” he says. “I’m excited about the potential of this generous grant to advance our work at AANRI of building a framework for equity throughout the field of medicine. I hope the groundwork we’re doing with the Lieber Institute and our partners will change the future of neuroscience and mental health care to mean better outcomes for all.”
About the Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD)
The mission of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development and the Maltz Research Laboratories is to translate the understanding of basic genetic and molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia and related developmental brain disorders into clinical advances that change the lives of affected individuals. LIBD is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a Maryland tax-exempt medical research institute affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The Lieber Institute’s brain repository of more than 4,000 human brains is the largest collection of postmortem brains for the study of neuropsychiatric disorders worldwide.
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About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded in 2015 to help solve some of society’s toughest challenges — from eradicating disease and improving education, to addressing the needs of our local communities. Its mission is to build a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for everyone. For more information, please visit www.chanzuckerberg.com.
