We are a non-profit research and philanthropy foundation.

 
 
 
 

Our Mission

We develop and implement pioneering methods in applied neuroscience to alleviate suffering and enhance lives.

Through research and innovation, we capture the novel synergies between traditional and nontraditional modalities to enrich the quality of peoples' lives, within and beyond the boundaries of healthcare.

 

We are devoted to...

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Research

Our current research endeavors focus on the functional components of the nervous system, specifically the utilization of new technologies in treatment and recovery.

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Innovation

INI strives to be at the forefront of innovation, promoting research and implementation of new advances along the spectrum from health and wellness to technology and analytics.

Education

Education

We offer a week-long, unpaid educational internship program in which students are able to shadow Dr. Amir Vokshoor in both an outpatient clinical setting and the operating room. Our interns get a first-hand look at the life of a neurosurgeon.

We will be holding our 11th Annual Gala on November 2nd—please join us!

 
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"In addition to all of its amazing functions⁠—including movement and sensation⁠—the brain rewrites our destiny on a daily basis."

- Dr. Amir Vokshoor

 

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Life moves fast, and for folks who have experienced trauma, we often don't take the time to process how it impacts our work, relationships, and stress. Slow down with YNPN LA and the Institute of Neuro Innovation (INI) on Sunday, September 22, for a facilitated meditation session and conversation around trauma and how we can use our experiences to empower ourselves and others. This session will include a special discussion on trauma and coping skills by I.N.I. founder Dr. Amir Vokshoor. Morning Meditation & Trauma-Informed Dialogue Sunday, September 22, 2019, 9:00 - 11:00am Redondo Beach, on the sand, down the steep stairs from Avenue C & Esplanade. GPS address: 1100 Esplanade, Redondo Beach, CA, 90277 This event will take place in Redondo Beach, on the sand, down the steep stairs from Avenue C & Esplanade. Use GPS address 1100 Esplanade, Redondo Beach, CA, 90277. Free and metered street parking are available in the neighborhood. Please bring your own towel or yoga mat. For more information about the event, contact Loretta Menzies Billoups at lorettalmenzies@yahoo.com or (424) 261-7175. For more information about the Institute for Neuro Innovation, visit https://inifoundation.org/ #INI #Meditation #Event #YNPNLA
Emotionally traumatic events take a significant toll on the nervous system. A singular event is enough to cause PTSD, which can have long-reaching ramifications on the health of your brain. "A new study led by Stony Brook University that includes 1,800 responders reveals that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is strongly associated with onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI)" https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/study-suggests-ptsd-associated-with-mild-cognitive-impairment-onset-in-911-responders-323916 #PTSD #INI #Research #Brain #Health #FirstResponders
Brainwaves are a medically-important sign of life. A complete absence of these neural oscillations is one of the criteria for brain death. Now, researchers can form neural tissues using stem cell technology and these "mini-brains" have now begun producing brainwaves themselves! This creates a very interesting moral, philosophical, and biological debate about the nature of brainwaves and what it means for these "mini-brains" to also exhibit this phenomenon. https://physicsworld.com/a/brain-waves-detected-in-mini-brains-grown-from-stem-cells/ #Brain #brainwave #stemcells #science #latest #research #INI
Not that we didn't know already, but here's even more evidence why one of the best things you can do for your brain is exercise! https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/another-study-suggests-exercise-provides-great-benefits-for-aging-brain-323219 #INI #Exercise #Brain #Health #News #Aging
Scientists at The Allen Institute are making great strides in understanding the nature of the human brain, and especially how it compares to that of other mammals. We share a very similar genetic blueprint for our nervous system with creatures like rats, and yet, we are obviously quite different in our capacities! Understanding how this difference manifests itself in the face of such similarity is key to improving the development of new healthcare treatments! https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/news-press/press-releases/highest-resolution-human-brain-parts-list-date-lays-road-map-better-treatments-neurological-and-psyc?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=itkst&fbclid=IwAR2IMPMAwtj8i54GMRNekDjmRWo-WJNR2tyKpVXi1YXxMe1xpgYCS-xW5wA #Brain #Science #AllenInstitute #neuroscience
A very productive beginning to the week as our founder, Dr. Amir Vokshoor, traveled to Mountain View to speak at and attend the first Space Brain Summit! The health of our bodies, and especially our brains, is key as we consider the future of human space travel. Zero-gravity and lowered-gravity environments pose a unique challenge to our Earth-adapted bodies! #NASA #Neuroscience #NeuroVella #Space #Brain #Gravity
Reductionism in science can often lead to either confusion or oversimplification. Here's an argument against such reductionism when it comes to the famous neurotransmitter, serotonin! #INI #Serotonin #Depression #MentalHealth
Music has always been mysterious and fascinating from a neuroscientific point of view. It is something that has bound humanity together since our early days as a species. Here, we can see how dance and music lead to increased joy and that this sense of happiness seems to interact well with those suffering from dementia! https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/exploring-the-positive-effects-of-music-and-dance-on-dementia-322665 #INI #Music #dementia #neuroscience #dance
Another integral link between the brain and body: the thyroid, a central player in hormonal control and influencer of symptoms like anxiety, stress, weight gain/loss, and energy levels. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/thyroid-study-explores-link-between-physical-illness-and-mood-disorder-322579 #INI #Mood #Brain #Research #Medicine
Big Questions in Neuroscience: Consciousness Following from our recent posts on studying the dynamics of consciousness, here at the INI we wanted to show you a sneak peak into some of our own research methods for looking into the brain! Here's our subject "J1", fully kitted-out in our EEG apparatus getting his brain scanned! #INI #innovation #EEG #research #Consciousness
Big Questions in Neuroscience: What is Consciousness? Following from our post last week surrounding the debate about what, where, and how consciousness works, here's a group that thinks they have hit upon something important! In this study, brain activity was compared between two groups of people, some "awake" and others comatose. The groups shared some activity, while other brain activity was, of course, different. They hypothesize that in these differences lie some crucial activity that they think pinpoints the signature of consciousness. What do you think? Does consciousness equate to the neural activity of an "awake" individual or is there something more they are missing? https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/neural-patterns-of-consciousness-identified-65433 #INI #Consciousness #Research #Brain #Neuroscience
Big Questions in Neuroscience: What is Consciousness? How would you define consciousness? Is it that intangible sense of "being you"? Is there a spiritual component, or is it an illusion caused by huge masses of neuronal activity? This is one of the huge problems we face in modern neuroscience. There are those who think consciousness is computationally derived and is a product of complex systems and therefore can be designed and coded in lab. Others assert there's an uniqueness to our humanity that allows for consciousness that can't be truly replicated in other systems. Modern neuroscience will continue to strive for depth in understanding this topic. How close that "understanding" is is a topic of debate almost as contentious as the topic of consciousness itself! https://www.quantamagazine.org/neuroscience-readies-for-a-showdown-over-consciousness-ideas-20190306/ #neuroscience #consciousness #TheHardProblem #INI