The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC), a long-standing research and education partnership between Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, is emerging from the pandemic with new energy from its two dynamic co-directors with a shared passion for cross-institutional collaboration.

In the summer of 2023, co-director Julie Fiez of Pitt was joined in leadership by Matthew A. Smith of CMU. The new leadership and staff ushers in an exciting new era for the 29-year-old neuroscience powerhouse.

Fiez, chair of Pitt’s Department of Psychology, is an expert on the neural systems for language and learning. She has worked closely with the CNBC for years, previously co-leading the joint Pitt-CMU predoctoral training program.

“Matt has directly experienced how the CNBC can impact individuals at all career stages, and he already has terrific ideas for new initiatives to support graduate student, postdoc and faculty research and mentoring,” said Fiez. “He has a unique perspective on the value of cross-institutional collaboration.”

Smith, a professor of biomedical engineering and member of CMU’s Neuroscience Institute, has been part of the CNBC community for two decades as a postdoc and faculty member at both universities.

“I’m very committed to these two universities cooperating so closely, and I think it’s very important for our science,” said Smith. “The center provides a way for students and faculty to connect formally and informally.”

The new co-directors are taking over after a yearlong “reimagining” process in 2022 that resulted in a refreshed vision, mission and values for the CNBC. As Smith stated, “I feel I’m doing something for the community. Other people are benefiting. It’s the glue that holds us all together.”

With their complementary expertise and commitment to interdisciplinary neuroscience, Fiez and Smith are poised to lead the CNBC into an exciting new chapter, strengthening existing ties between the two universities’ cognitive, computational and clinical neuroscience programs.

“Matt has directly experienced how the CNBC can impact individuals at all career stages, and he already has terrific ideas for new initiatives to support graduate student, postdoc and faculty research and mentoring,” Fiez said. “He has a unique perspective on the value of cross-institutional collaboration and approaches for working effectively across institutional differences in policies and procedures.”

Fiez also highlighted Smith’s scientific interests.

“Matt and I share a deep fascination with how the brain gives rise to complex cognitive behavior, but we use different research approaches and so our combined interests and expertise are a terrific reflection of the CNBC community,” she said.

When the CNBC underwent a reimagining in 2022, Smith was part of the group that redefined the center’s mission and vision. He said being a part of the community is why he is excited to come to work each day.

“I got into science because I was excited by the ideas and the techniques, and I thought I could apply my skill set in a way that could be effective. But the reason I’ve stayed, what motivates me to work hard on a grant application or try my best when running a workshop, is because I feel I’m doing something for the community,” he said. “Other people are benefiting. It’s the glue that holds us all together.”

The team is well underway on a fresh website, branding, streamlined internal systems, and a renewed focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.