The Joint Center was established on May 27, 2011 at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences under the witness of Dr. Jiayang Li, CAS Vice President and Dr. Amy Gutmann, President of the University of Pennsylvania. The Center is intended to advance collaborative research in brain mapping and biomedical imaging and its transformation into new translational applications for better cognitive health and living in both China and USA. Scientists from both sides will collaborate to advance the application of neuroimaging to basic and applied cognitive neuroscience research, including the development and evaluation of novel imaging technologies and their translation into new biomedical applications and basic science studies for detection, characterization, diagnosis and image-guided treatment of brain diseases. The Center will serve as the academic locus for collaborative programs in brain and biomedical imaging research, applications and education between IBP-CAS and Penn, and be positioned to foster interdisciplinary connections and the growth of an international community of scientists, developers and clinicians in support of the mission of the Center.

The Chinese scientists of the Joint Center are led by Professor and CAS Academician Lin Chen.  Other scientists include:

Aike Guo, Professor and CAS academician, IBP CAS

Qiyong Gong, Professor, West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University

Tianzi Jiang, Professor, Institute of Automation, CAS

Li Liu, Professor, IBP CAS

Rong Xue, Professor, IBP CAS

Yan Zhuo, Professor, IBP CAS

Penn side scientists are led by Dr. James Gee, Associate Professor of Radiologic Science in Radiology, Director of Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania. Other scientists include:

Dr. Geoffrey Aguirre, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Adrian Raine, Richard Perry University Professor and Chair of the Department of Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Sharon Thompson-Schill, Class of 1965 Term Professor and Interim Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania