EDITORIAL
The future of network neuroscience
Olaf Sporns
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington IN 47405
and Indiana University Network Science Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington IN 47405
ABSTRACT
Understanding the brain represents one of the most profound and pressing scientific
challenges of the 21st century. As brain data have increased in volume and complexity, IL
tools and methods of network science have become indispensable for mapping and
modeling brain structure and function, for bridging scales of organization, and for integrating
across empirical and computational methodologies. The creation of a new journal, Network
Neuroscience, will contribute to guiding this emerging and interdisciplinary field in new
directions.
Ever since the days of Golgi and Cajal, our view of the brain has been that of a vast col-
lection of discrete elements—an assembly of neurons that serve as the brain’s basic functional
and computational units. Some of the greatest advances of neuroscience have revealed the
workings of these elementary units, from the molecular structures of their channels and recep-
tori, to their intricate morphology, the elementary processes of neurophysiology, and the links
between neuronal activity and behavior.
More recently, our perspective is expanding, partly as a result of two intersecting devel-
opments. On the one hand, our experimental techniques for observing brain structure and
function have dramatically increased the range, the sensitivity, and the comprehensive scope
of neuroscience data. Many of these data are relational in nature—they involve the large-scale
mapping and recording of anatomical and functional interactions in neuronal systems, often
across multiple scales. D'altra parte, the analytic methods and theoretical concepts that
underpin the science of complex networks have made a significant impact in many disciplines,
from the social to the biological sciences. Networks are core phenomena, whether one studies
the spread of rumors or innovations, the robustness of financial markets or the Internet, or the
collective dynamics of biological systems composed of proteins, cells, and species. Network
science offers a common theoretical framework that guides the study of many and diverse types
of networked systems.
One such system is the brain. Networks are fundamental to brain function at all levels of
organization. The study of brain networks at molecular scales draws on network approaches
from genomics and systems biology. At the level of cells and circuits, network studies employ a
multitude of techniques, from highly resolved anatomical mapping of the connections among
neurons, to large-scale recordings of dynamic circuit activity. At the level of the whole brain,
networks are derived from various physiological and imaging techniques designed to observe
and estimate patterns of structural and functional brain connectivity. Importantly, these levels
interact—molecular-, cellular-, circuit-, and systems-level networks jointly underpin virtually
all aspects of brain structure and function. Past years have seen a sharp rise in empirical and
computational research directed at understanding brain networks. At the intersection of brain
and network sciences, a new field has emerged—network neuroscience. One of the aims of
this field is to uncover the principles that govern the architecture and dynamic function of brain
networks. Achieving this aim requires a truly interdisciplinary effort. Contributions to network
a n o p e n a c c e s s
j o u r n a l
Citation: Sporns, O. (2017). The future
of network neuroscience. Network
Neuroscience, 1(1), 1–2.
doi:10.1162/netn_e_00005
DOI:
http://doi.org/10.1162/netn_e_00005
Copyright: © 2017
Istituto di Tecnologia del Massachussetts
Pubblicato sotto Creative Commons
Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale
(CC BY 4.0) licenza
The MIT Press
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The future of network neuroscience
neuroscience frequently involve researchers with varying backgrounds and expertise—from
neurobiology, physiology, development, neuroanatomy, neuroimaging, and clinical science,
to informatics, data and computer science, applied mathematics, statistical physics, and engi-
neering.
The time has come for this new interdisciplinary community to have an intellectual home—
hence, the inception of this new journal, Network Neuroscience. Our mission is to publish
innovative scientific work that significantly advances our understanding of network organi-
zation and function in the brain across all scales, from molecules and neurons to circuits
and systems. We will cover both empirical and computational studies of brain networks,
addressing the structure and function of networks in all systems and all species. The scope
of the journal includes contributions that address developmental, evolutionary, social, E
clinical/translational aspects of neurobiological networks. While the journal will mainly pub-
lish articles that report on primary research, articles that describe significant new methods,
algorithms and software tools, and network datasets are also welcome. Finalmente, Network Neu-
roscience recognizes that review and perspective articles can play important roles in shaping
an emerging field by communicating integrative overviews across the field and beyond. All of
our content will undergo rigorous peer review and will be published under a Creative Com-
mons Attribution license, providing free access worldwide. The journal strongly supports (E
for some article types, requires) the sharing of data and other research materials.
In the future, I hope our journal will become more than a repository of articles in an inter-
esting area of science. I hope that Network Neuroscience can take an active role in shaping
the field, by helping create a new community of researchers with common interests but very
different disciplinary backgrounds. In coming years, we will continually review our progress in
this area and seek to incorporate new ways to facilitate interdisciplinary research, discussion,
and exchange.
I am deeply grateful to the founding members of the editorial board for their enthusiasm
and support, and to our publisher, CON Premere, for providing essential expertise and resources to
this endeavor. I am confident that together we will make important contributions to the future
of the emerging field of network neuroscience.
Network Neuroscience
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