Brain Informatics (BI) started the exploration as a research field with the vision of investigating the brain from the informatics perspective. Firstly, Brain Informatics combines the efforts of Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, AI and ICT to study the brain as a general information processing system. Secondly, new measurements and informatics equipment, tools and platforms are causing impending revolution to understand the brain. Thirdly, staring from its proposal as a field, Brain Informatics is with the goal of inspiring future Artificial Intelligence, especially Web Intelligence.

The series of Brain Informatics conferences started with the WICI International Workshop on Web Intelligence meets Brain Informatics, held at Beijing, China in 2006.  The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th conferences, Brain Informatics 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 held in Beijing China, Toronto Canada, Lanzhou China, and Macau China. Since 2013, we added “Health” in the conference title with an emphasis on real-world applications of brain research in human health and well-being and BHI’13, BIH’14 and BIH’15, BIH’16 held at Maebashi Japan, Warsaw Poland, London UK, Omaha, USA. BI’17 in Beijing is co-hosted by Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Internet Technology/BJUT and Institute of Automation/Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is officially sponsored by Web Intelligence Consortium (WIC), WIC Technical Committee on Brain Informatics, International Neural Network Society, IEEE Computational Intelligence Society, Springer-Nature and Springer LNCS/LNAI, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Internet Technology.

BI’17 addresses the computational, cognitive, physiological, biological, physical, ecological and social perspectives of brain informatics, as well as topics relating to mental health and well-being. It also welcomes emerging information technologies, including but not limited to Internet/Web of Things (IoT/WoT), cloud computing, big data analytics and interactive knowledge discovery related to brain research. BI’17 also encourages submissions that explore how advanced computing technologies are applied to and make a difference in various large-scale brain studies and their applications.
Informatics-enabled studies are transforming brain science. New methodologies enhance human interpretive powers when dealing with big data sets increasingly derived from advanced neuro-imaging technologies, including fMRI, PET, MEG, EEG and fNIRS, as well as from other sources like eye-tracking and from wearable, portable, micro and nano devices. New experimental methods, such as in toto imaging, deep tissue imaging, opto-genetics and dense-electrode recording are generating massive amounts of brain data at very fine spatial and temporal resolutions. These technologies allow measuring, modeling, managing and mining of multiple forms of big brain data. Brain informatics techniques for analyzing all the data will help achieve a better understanding of human thought, memory, learning, decision-making, emotion, consciousness and social behaviors. These methods and related studies will also assist in building brain-inspired intelligence, brain-inspired computing, human-level wisdom-computing paradigms and technologies, improving the treatment efficacy of mental health and brain disorders.
BI’17 will provide a broad forum that academia, professionals and industry people can exchange their ideas, findings and strategies in utilizing the powers of mammalian brain, especially human brains and man-made networks to create a better world. In the 2017 version of the Brain Informatics conference, we want to argue that brain research is a grand challenge to all the countries, and various scientific communities. Its potential impact not only will help us to understand who we are, and make us a better lives, but also will enable new paradigm shift in the new intelligence era. Hence, the new Brain research needs joint efforts and collaborative research from different countries worldwide. It also calls for interdisciplinary studies to investigate on the brain from various perspectives.