Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation



The Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation (GNIF) is an international registered public 501(c)(3) charity founded in 2003 by Shaheen Lakhan, who serves as the Executive Director. With headquarters in Los Angeles, the organization participates in research and applications in health promotion and awareness, and plays scientific roles on neurological and mental illness research and education. Since its inception with an international Board of Directors and Advisors, GNIF reaches the global spectrum of afflicted individuals with various governmental (EPA, NIMHANS, Peace Corps), business (AILM, MedYX), and nonprofit (NCSD) partnerships, educational projects, research studies, and health advocacy campaigns.

The paramount GNIF mission is the betterment of neurological and mental health patient welfare, research, and education. The organization invested much of its donations to the development of novel free and open-access Therapeutic Recreational Centers, health promotion campaigns, and other charitable activities throughout the world to aid diagnosed individuals and their advocates. In 2004, they released health promotion flyers in schizophrenia, bipolar, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. By 2005, the organization invested in global biotechnology focusing on China's development of modern biotechnology. To redefine its scientific focus, the GNIF established a proteomics core in 2006 and released a guiding scholarly article on their biomedical research practice with proteomic technologies on schizophrenia biomarkers. The organization's more recent articles confirms interest in psychological research, neurology, and psychiatry. Moreover, the education division of the GNIF released a thorough article on intellectual property education worldwide.

By presenting free and open-access information and educational courses via a distance, GNIF aims to educate clinicians, teachers, scientists, patients, and the general public on neuroscience, medicine, psychology, biotechnology, and computer science. By partnering with the National Council for Support of Disability Issues, they have delivered free online personal development courses to thousands of individuals with disabilities from improving interview skills to managing stress and illness with physical interventions.

GNIF supports a variety of research programs ranging from biomedical to spiritual studies on the nature of the mind-body connection, biopsychosocial model of health and disease, and health psychology/behavioral medicine practices. Recently, GNIF director Shaheen Lakhan interviewed Prof. John Finberg, co-developer of the anti-Parkinson drug rasagiline. By establishing the GNIF Brain Blogger news resource, they have administered many Ethics in Mental Health campaigns against mental health stigmatization and discrimination.