The Institutes of Brain Science (IOBS) at Fudan University was established in 2006 with support from the “985” Program of the Chinese Ministry of Education. The founding director was Professor Xiong-Li Yang, a prominent neuroscientist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The current director is Professor Lan Ma, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The State Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disorders (formerly known as the State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, SKLab) was established in 1992. In 2015, the SKLab and IOBS were merged, with strengthened distinctive role in boldly advancing interdisciplinary research and bench-to-bed translation. Committed to deepening understanding of brain functions and accelerating the development of novel therapies for major nervous system disorders, IOBS/SKLab takes on cutting-edge research to reveal the basic principles of sensory neurobiology, define the mechanism of higher cognitive functions, and develop next-generation treatment for major brain disorders. It has become one of the most influential brain science research institutions in China.

The IOBS/SKLab currently has 44 full-time Principal Investigators (PIs), including 3 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Funding from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Natural Science Foundation of China, and Shanghai municipal have supported the establishment of world-class facility. PIs in our institute have made breakthroughs ranging from an improved understanding of reward processing to technology for vision restoration. IOBS investigators published research articles and reviews in peer-reviewed international journals, including Nature, Nature Genetics,  Cell, Nature Neuroscience, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Neuron, Progress in Neurobiology, Progress in Retina and Eye Research, PNAS etc.. They are recipients of national, provincial, and municipal scientific awards (2 National Natural Science 2nd grade Awards and 4 National Science and Technology Progress 2nd grade Awards). 

Currently, 400+ graduate students are enrolled in the IOBS graduate program. The IOBS embraces new policies to improve its admission processes as well as the training program, e.g. IOBS is the first institute in Fudan University School of Medicine to introduce rotation system, providing unique opportunities for the graduate students to pursue their true scientific interest.

The IOBS/SKLab has cutting-edge facility for brain research, including: In vivo and high-resolution imaging facility, platforms for behavioral neuroscience, functional MRI for small animals, single-cell genomics. 

Being selected for the ‘Frontiers Science Center for Brain Science’ program sponsored by the Ministry of Education in 2018, IOBS/SKLab brings momentum for further growth. The Frontiers Science Center for Brain Science is a brain science research and education ‘cluster’ based on IOBS/SKLab in Fudan University. Meanwhile, it integrates talents and facilities in other institutes within the university such as the Institute for Translational Brain Research, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, and Institute of Brain Diseases Research and Translation. The center promotes multidisciplinary and innovative collaborations, and strives to make original and groundbreaking achievements in both basic and translational research. It is poised to become a top-tier global center for brain science research.