Next frontiers in consciousness research

The neural basis of conscious awareness is one of the oldest and deepest mysteries in philosophy and science. How and why the firings of neurons and their synaptic activity should give rise not only to adaptive behavior but also to sentient experiences is a question that has long puzzled philosophers, scientists and laymen alike. Recent insights into the nature of consciousness have arisen thanks to the rapid development of new behavioral paradigms, neuroimaging techniques, and theoretical frameworks. The field of consciousness science has seen explosive growth over the past three decades and this relatively young scientific discipline promises to have an enormous potential impact on medicine, society, and technology.

The objective of this workshop is to bring experts from different sub-disciplines relevant to consciousness research together to synthesize the current state of knowledge about the neural mechanisms of consciousness (defined as conscious awareness), discuss theoretical and empirical approaches, define the most exciting avenues to advance the field, and develop a roadmap for future discoveries in the science of consciousness.

A Meeting Report summarizing this workshop was published in Neuron in October, 2023 and can be found here.