A neuroscientist at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Shubha Tole is set to become the first president of the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) to be elected from a developing country. Tole's appointment as President Elect was announced by the IBRO governing council, which represents 69 scientific societies and federations from 57 nations worldwide.

IBRO, a global network of neuroscientist societies, was established in 1961 and promotes neuroscience research, education, and outreach, and the publication of two journals - Neuroscience and IBRO Neuroscience Reports.

Tole and the newly elected executives will join the IBRO advisory board with elect status for a one-year term beginning January 1, 2025. The neuroscientist, who joined TIFR as a faculty member in 1999 and earned her PhD from CalTech-US, will take over as president on January 1, 2026. After her term ends on December 31, 2028, she will also serve as past president of the IBRO advisory board for two years.

The majority of IBRO presidents in the past have come from North America or Europe. For the first time, someone perspective from a developing country will occupy a leadership position. Tole stated that there are a number of limitations while working in every developing nation. These exist in all organisations within the nation as well, and include difficult access to resources or networking possibilities.

Tole is the president of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience and has held important roles in the Society for Neuroscience and the IBRO Asia-Pacific Regional Committee. In addition, she has served as chair of the Indian Academy of Sciences' Women in Science Committee and is an active member of the ALBA network, which promotes diversity in neuroscience.

The fact that Prof Tole represents the largest region of IBRO in terms of territory, number of countries, and people is undoubtedly intriguing. To guarantee that IBRO stays relevant and has an impact in every part of the world, Prof Tole's distinct viewpoint is crucial.
Tole received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, India's highest scientific honour given by the CSIR, Government of India, in 2010 and the Infosys Science Foundation Award for Life Sciences in 2014. She earned her bachelor's degree in science from St Xavier's College in Mumbai.
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