Angie Michaiel on the potential of Kavli Foundation’s Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems Initiative

With headlines about climate change and its toll on humans, wildlife, and ecosystems, it’s easy to feel powerless. The Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems Initiative at The Kavli Foundation aims to change that sense of despair. “In having scientists think more about [neurobiology and changing ecosystems], it’s my hope that they care more about climate change … and consider more their own usage of the environment,” said Dr. Angie Michaiel, associate program officer in neuroscience at The Kavli Foundation and architect of the Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems Initiative, in an interview with The Civic Science Observer. “Not everyone is going to be able to be a climate activist, so you have to meet people where they are.” 

Launched just two years ago, the initiative has gained momentum rapidly. In late 2023, it awarded its first round of recipients for the Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems Kavli Exploration Awards, granting funds for three different research teams across the world. In 2024, in partnership with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), The Kavli Foundation announced funding for two more research teams for their study of animal neural systems’ adaptation and resilience in changing environments.

This was followed up in 2025 with a recent announcement of another four research teams being supported through this NSF and Kavli Foundation joint initiative. This year, The Kavli Foundation partnered with the Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement to host a Scialog (“science and dialogue”) in Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems. The conference brought together scientists from diverse backgrounds, including neurogeneticists, behavioral neuroscientists, and climate scientists, to develop research proposals in the emerging field of neurobiology and its applications to changing ecosystems. Through the conference, The Kavli Foundation provided support for two research teams to pursue their pilot study, with additional projects being supported by partner funding organizations. 

Michaiel explains that a key tenet of the initiative is that nature and its biology are resilient in the face of change. Animals and humans alike have found ways to adapt and even succeed in changing environments, but how and to what extent? These are some of the questions the initiative aims to answer. “The nervous system, its function for an organism, is at the root of its survival. It helps animals find shelter and food, avoid predators, and regulate physiological functions like metabolism or sleep,” Michaiel explained during our conversation.

A functional nervous system, in other words, is critical for a healthy animal. “If you think about environmental change, we actually know very little [about how the brain functions] because traditionally the way nervous systems have been studied is very constrained.” Michaiel elaborates that historically, animal nervous systems have been largely studied in the lab with highly controlled experimental variables. This is helpful in that by manipulating one variable of the animal’s environment, we know that the animal’s following behavior or experimental outcome is due to that initial variable change. “This has taught us a lot about how the brain works at a fundamental level, but it’s not as translatable to the experience of an animal in the world,” said Michaiel.

The goal of the Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems Initiative is to pave the way for climate neuroscience to take root in the scientific community and become a robust field of its own. Michaiel sees the field going far, “In my ideal world, I would see regular collaborations between climate scientists, environmental scientists, and neurobiologists.” Personally, Michaiel hopes to see the neuroscience-informed findings from the field shape conservation and policy. “I want to see this integration with society as well.” Most researchers in the Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems Initiative have not yet used community-based research principles.

However, Michaiel maintained that the implications for the research on society are critical. “This is a really new topic. People are trying to figure out what does this science mean, and then how that would actually impact society.” Despite this, some researchers are recruiting everyday nature lovers to support their efforts. “There are some researchers using citizen science as a way to collect data about the behavior of different species out in the wild.” People are encouraged to document the animals they encounter in the wild. This data “can inform the neuroscience hypotheses that then [researchers] take back into the lab and test more directly.” 

“People are definitely aware that [it’s] important that this research doesn’t just live within the confines of the lab,” Michaiel says. Efforts like citizen science initiatives are ways in which the research can expand beyond the lab. 

The Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems Initiative at The Kavli Foundation is expected to issue a call for research proposals at the end of next year, with funding anticipated for 2027. However, current funding efforts are focused on building the scientific community in neurobiology and changing ecosystems through events such as symposia, conferences, and webinars. “My focus is bringing the community together to identify specific questions that we should all tackle together,” said Michaiel. 

Connecting the dots: As the initiative grows, an open question is how supported projects will integrate community science practices into their research, which many seem well-positioned to do. Could the lessons learned from such practices help shape future funding calls? Another is what partnerships might emerge to support the community science work. One example of partnership opportunities is the American Geophysical Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange program, which provides a mechanism for local communities to launch projects in collaboration with scientists to address one or more community-identified environmental issues. In a follow-up question, Michaiel added that they are examining the societal considerations around the Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems Initiative, which may subsequently guide future funding calls such that there is more community engagement.

Michaiel said it best in a recent interview with reporter Calli McMurray of The Transmitter: “This is all super early, so I’m excited to see the actual discoveries that come out in the next few years. I hope people start to embrace environmental variability and put their work in this larger context.”

Bernadette Weigman

Bernadette Weigman is a neuroscience and society reporter for The Civic Science Observer.  She covers the civic dimensions of neuroscience, including its intersections with education, public engagement, and the broader societal implications of brain science. She engages with scholars and practitioners to learn about their public engagement work and how they navigate the ethical, cultural, and institutional challenges of bringing neuroscience into public life.