Meet Shubha Tole, Indian Scientist To Head World Neuroscience Body

Indian scientist Shubha Tole has been elected as the President of the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO), a global neuroscientists association. Tole has made notable contributions to global neuroscience research. She has helped decipher genetic mechanisms underlying brain structures that control emotions, language and memory. She is a professor in the biological sciences department of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai. 

Shubha Tole: President-Elect Of IBRO

The IBRO, representing 69 scientific societies from 57 countries, elected Tole to the apex position during its annual assembly held on October 6, 2024, in Chicago, USA. She will join the IBRO advisory board with an elect status for one year on January 1, 2025.

Tole will assume her role as president from January 1, 2026, until December 31, 2028. On completing her term, Tole will also serve a two-year term on the advisory board as former president. She is IBRO's first president-elect from the developing world.

In IBRO's official media statement, Tole said she hopes to further the organisation’s efforts towards diversity, equity and inclusion. "It is a privilege to serve the global neuroscience community through an organization like IBRO that has a network to reach aspiring and practising neuroscientists worldwide, including those from regions that may not have easy access to resources or networking opportunities.”

Tole earned her PhD from the prestigious California Institute of Technology and returned to India in 1999 to establish her research programmes. She is also the incumbent President of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience (ISDN). 

Tole has also chaired the Women in Science Committee of the Indian Academy of Sciences and contributes to the ALBA network, advocating for diversity in neuroscience. She has held prominent positions within the IBRO Asia-Pacific Regional Committee and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). 

Apart from Tole, the other newly-elected members include secretary-general elect, professor João Relvas, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal, and treasurer-elect, professor David Belin, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. 

The current President of IBRO, Tracy Bale, will continue serving her term until December 2025. She said in the statement that Tole’s leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion on a global scale provides great confidence in the ability to steer IBRO towards ever-greater impacts in the coming years.